The Academy Phantom
by Ghost Fang
Summary: Danny Fenton has always felt out of place coming from a family of ghost hunters. It only gets worse when a lab accident causes him to become half ghost. Suddenly he has a chance for a fresh start when he's accepted to a school in Japan: Youkai Academy.
1. Chapter 1

How's it going ladies and gentlemen? I am Ghost Fang and this is my first story so please be gentle.

Let's get this out of the way right now because i hate repeating myself. I mean I really hate repeating myself: I do not own Danny Phantom or Rosario+Vampire. Or Scooby-Doo. Or Family Guy or ThunderCats or The Douchebag Chronicles or anything else I might reference. (That last one was made up just so you don't strain yourself looking for anything.)

Without further adieu, here we go. _HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!_

* * *

"So, you're a new student at Youkai Academy, eh?" the bus driver asked with his wicked, ever present grin. The only passenger was a teenage boy with black hair and blue eyes who was wearing a school uniform.

"Yeah. I'm an exchange student from the US," the young man said snapping out of his daze when he heard the driver.

"American huh? What's your name kid?" the man asked as they entered a tunnel.

"Danny Fenton."

"Well Danny you should prepare yourself now…" the older man said with a chuckle that sent a chill down Danny's spine.

"For what?" Danny asked. The bus driver turned back to face him and Danny was sure the old man's eyes were glowing through his cigar smoke.

"Youkai Academy… is a terrifying school…"

"_Greeeeeaaaaat," _Danny thought turning back to the window. _"As if starting a new school in a foreign country isn't bad enough. The creepiest bus driver on the planet is telling me that the __**school**__ is terrifying. Oh, and there's the tiny little matter of me having ghost powers. How the heck did I get into this?"_

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Check it out Danny-boy," Danny's father Jack said giving him a punch to the shoulder that nearly broke his bone. "You've been accepted to some private school in Japan!"

"What?!" Danny's mother and sister said running in from the other room.

"What?!" Danny echoed.

"Yeah it looks like you're gonna be part of some sort of exchange program," Jack said slamming a letter down on the kitchen table. "See?"

"That's weird. I don't remember signing him up for anything like that," Danny's mother Maddie said as she read through the letter before turning on her husband. "Jack Fenton did you do this?"

"Well I don't remember doing it," Jack said before giving her a sheepish grin. "But then there was that one week I was having blackouts from the lab explosion…"

"JACK!"

"Oh come on Mads, he's already been accepted. Besides, how many kids his age get a chance to study in a different country?"

"Actually-" Jazz started to answer.

"I think that was supposed to be rhetorical, Sis," Danny cut her off before she went into a list of long and boring statistics.

"See Maddie look how smart he is," Jack said having heard his son use a word that he had no idea what the meaning could be. "Don't you think this could be the chance of a lifetime?"

"Well," Maddie thought, clearly curious. "I suppose it would be a good opportunity."

"Then it's settled," Jack yelled triumphantly as he slapped his son on the back.

"This is so unfair," Jazz complained as she read through the letter. "I'm the A+ student that's going to get into an Ivy League school and has a bright future in this family, no offense Danny."

"None taken."

"So why is it he gets to study abroad at a private school?" she finished.

"Jasmine, calm down," Maddie said laying a hand on her daughters shoulder. "He may not even learn anything new. You should be happy for your brother."

"I guess," Jazz sighed.

"So I'm really going?" Danny asked.

"That's right Dan-o. In a few weeks, you'll be attending Youkai Academy. Just imagine the ghosts you're gonna learn about over there. Man, are you lucky!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Oh yeah Dad," _Danny thought. _"I'm the luckiest kid alive. Does he really think I'm gonna learn about ghosts at this place?"_

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Then again…"_

Danny stood at the bus stop with his mouth hanging open. He was standing on a landscape that looked fit for a horror movie. The sky was overcast that day so it was dark, and that was the most normal thing. The trees in the woods all looked rotted and twisted with large black birds in the branches. The ground looked like it was littered with tombstones. And the ocean out by the cliff was filled with blood red water. Off in the distance was a building that reminded Danny of a haunted house from Scooby-Doo.

"_This place sure looks like its fit for ghosts,"_ he thought as the bus drove off. _"Well at least I've got good news for Dad."_

"Look out!"

Danny turned around just in time to see a bike tire before it ran into his skull.

"Damn. This just keeps getting better," Danny growled. As he started to get up, he reached out and touched something soft and smooth. Danny heard someone squeal and looked up to see a beautiful young girl with pink hair and green eyes. "… and better."

She was wearing a school uniform like his (save for the skirt) and a strange choker. It had a chain with two large links connected to two small strings of beads. At the end of the chain was a large silver cross that had a red jem in the center.

"I'm sorry. I just got a little dizzy from my anemia," the girl said, still blurry eyed. "Are you okay?"

"Uh yeah," Danny said looking down to find his hand resting on the girl's thigh. Danny nearly passed out as blood came shooting out of his nose. _"Well that was weird…"_

"Oh no! Did I hurt you?" the girl asked pulling out a handkerchief.

"No seriously, I'm fine," Danny said giving her a smile, but when he looked back, the girl had a dazed look again.

"This scent…"

"Scent? What are you- HEY!" Danny jumped as the girl fell against his chest.

"I'm sorry," she said as she came closer to Danny's face. Danny turned crimson as she drew near. "It's because I'm a vampire."

"You're what?!" suddenly Danny felt her teeth sink into his neck. He sat there stunned for a moment before jumping back a few feet. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry," the girl said with a start before bowing in apology. "I'm Moka Akashiya. And like I said I'm a vampire. Did I hurt you?"

"No," Danny said feeling his neck. It didn't hurt, it just tingled. Almost like his neck had fallen asleep. "I guess I'm okay."

"Good," she said with a gorgeous smile that washed away Danny's anger. It quickly turned timid however and she looked down at the ground. "So do you hate our kind? Vampires?"

"Huh?" Danny asked, not sure how to respond. "No I don't. I've just never met one."

"That's great," Moka said, her smile now brighter than ever. "Then would you like to be friends?"

Danny laughed. He couldn't stop himself. It was all just so weird it was funny.

"Sure. I'd like that. My name's Danny. Danny Fenton."

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny and Moka had been on their way to the opening ceremony when someone had taken Danny aside and told him the school board chairman wanted to speak to him. Now he was waiting outside the chairman's office.

"_What could he want with me?"_ Danny thought worriedly_. "School hasn't even started yet. Don't tell me I'm in trouble already. Mr. Lancer probably sent some kind of lousy report about me."_

The door opened next to him and the tall man in black who had brought him stepped out.

"The chairman will see you now."

When the door closed behind Danny, he literally felt like he had entered an execution chamber. The office was a large, dark room. The only light was coming from candles that lined the walls on either side of him. All around the room were cabinets covered with skulls. Even Sam's room wasn't this depressing.

"Welcome Danny," came a low voice from the darkest end of the room.

"Uh hi," Danny said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "I like your office. Very… unique."

The chairman chuckled. He sounded even creepier than the bus driver. As Danny came closer he saw that the man was wearing a long white robe. He kept the hood up which completely covered his face.

"I'm glad you approve," the chairman said. "I was afraid the campus might prove a little overwhelming for you. But it helps make most of our other students feel welcome."

"Who exactly do you teach here, ghosts and zombies?" Danny joked.

The chairman let out another low laugh. "I assure you Danny, we have no zombies. And the only ghost enrolled… would be you."

Danny's eyes went wide. "What? Me… a ghost? That's crazy."

"No crazier than a school for monsters," the chairman said raising his head just enough for Danny to see a malicious smile.

"Monsters? You can't be serious…" Danny protested, now officially freaked.

"Really? Your parents are professional ghost hunters. Is it so hard to believe monsters exist as well? From what I've heard, you've already made friends with a lovely young vampire."

"Wait a second. Moka was serious about that vampire stuff?"

"Yes she was," the chairman said still smiling.

"But why would I be at a school for monsters? I'm human!"

"Are you?"

The question surprised Danny. Two months ago the obvious answer would have been yes. But ever since his accident in the lab he had become something… _more_.

"I… don't know," Danny said suddenly feeling like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Relax Danny," the chairman said getting up from his chair. "You shouldn't feel so bad about this. In fact, you should be relieved."

"What do you mean?" asked Danny, confused.

"If you had gone to a 'normal' school, how would you have felt?" the robed man asked. "You would have to learn about these new powers on your own, constantly worried that someone would learn your secret. But here, you will be surrounded by students with powers and secrets of their own. You don't have to be afraid to show who you are."

Danny had to admit, the chairman had a point. Back home the only ones who knew about him were Sam and Tucker, and it wasn't like they could understand what was happening.

"Danny," the chairman said, regaining the teens attention, "I understand your reluctance, but monsters are not always the monsters they are made out as. Why don't you stay for awhile and decide for yourself if you want to stay."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your first class should be starting soon. Why don't you go and find out more about our school?"

"Thanks," Danny said as he turned to leave. Just as he got to the door, he stopped. "Uh sir? If this is a school for monsters, what did you send back to Amity Park?"

The board chairman laughed. "Oh don't you worry about that. There was a mix-up and a human boy got one of our acceptance letters. We sent him. His name is Tsukune Aono."

XXXXXXXXXX

"_AHHHHHHHHH!!!_"

"Get back here new kid!" Dash Baxter yelled as he chased the new foreign exchange student down the hall.

"_Just great,_" Tsukune thought as he ran through the school. _"My first day at an American school and the local jock has already picked me as his new punching bag. And he's HUGE! This has got to be the scariest school there is."_

* * *

Well that's it. This is really more of a prolouge than a first chapter but I digress. My current plan is to update once a week and I will try to stick to that schedule but I make no promises so don't kill me if I'm off a bit because I'll tell you the same thing and I hate repeating myself. Did I mention that?


	2. Chapter 2

Alright now we get this story underway. I won't always post this fast but I wanted to get the strory moving and find out what you think so enjoy.

* * *

"_A school for monsters," _Danny thought as he made his way to his homeroom. _"This has got to be some kind of joke."_

Danny looked at all the students he passed on the way. Everyone looked like a completely normal human. It wasn't possible that all of them were monsters.

"_But it can't be a joke. He knew I was half ghost. Moka bit me. She even drew blood,_" he thought, touching his neck where Moka had sucked his blood. The wound had already healed, but that wasn't strange. Danny healed really fast ever since he had become a halfa.

"Man, this is just too weird," he said to himself. "The chairman's right. I've just gotta see what this place is like."

When Danny got to class there were several other students entering.

"_Looks like the entrance ceremony's over_," he thought as he took a seat in the back. "_I wish I could've talked to Moka_. _Would've been nice to talk to someone about this, vampire or not…_"

After all the students had taken a seat an attractive older woman in glasses and tight colorful clothing entered the room. She had short blonde hair with cat… ears and… _a tail!_

"Welcome everyone to Youkai Academy," she said with a bright smile and a wave. "I am your homeroom teacher, Miss Shizuka Nekonome and as I'm sure you all know this is a school for monsters."

Danny sighed. This wasn't a joke. It couldn't be. There was no way everyone there could be in on it. All these normal looking people around him were monsters.

"Like it or not, humans currently rule the world," she continued. "The purpose of this school is to teach how to coexist with humans. Because of this, all students are to stay in their human form. This will teach you how to stay disguised in the human world."

"Hey teach," interrupted a large student with a lip ring. "Wouldn't it be better if we just ate those puny humans? Except for the hot girls. I can think of better things to do to them."

Danny watched in disgust as the student licked his lips with a long tongue. He was about to use the ingenious sarcastic wit that God had been gracious enough to bless him with when the classroom door slid open.

"Sorry I'm late," someone said from the hallway. "I got lost after the entrance ceremony."

"Oh that's fine. Just take a seat," Ms. Nekonome smiled.

"Ok, thanks" the pink haired girl said as she stepped into the room.

As soon as Moka entered, every boy in the room went nuts.

"Who is she?"

"That hair… Those eyes…"

"She's so beautiful…"

"Danny?"

"Hi Moka," Danny blushed when she saw him.

"DANNYYYYY!!!" Moka squealed tackling him to the ground.

Danny wasn't sure whether he was in heaven or hell. On the one hand, the hottest girl he had ever met was currently lying on top of him. On the other, every guy in his class (who just so happened to be monsters) looked like they were ready to kill him.

"Alright now class that's enough," Ms. Nekonome said motioning for everyone to take their seats. "Anyway as I was saying, Youkai Academy is protected by a special barrier…"

XXXXXXXXXX

After spending the rest of the day with Moka, Youkai Academy was looking pretty good to the young halfa. Monster High or not, spending time with a beauty like her would make just about any guy want to stay. Even if all the other guys in the school (and some of the girls) were plotting to kill him to get to her.

"Maybe this place really will be okay," Danny thought on his way to class the next day.

"Wait up, lover boy," Danny heard someone say as he passed. Before he could even turn his head, someone had grabbed him by his tie and slammed him against the wall. When Danny looked down, he saw the student who had talked about eating humans in class the day before, Saizou Komiya.

"It looks like you had fun with Moka yesterday," the larger teen said, "and now you're gonna pay for it. I can't believe that she wants to hang with a weakling like you when there's a real man around. Just what is your true form anyway twerp?"

"_This feels oddly familiar,_" Danny thought as the other student lifted him above his head like a certain blonde jock used to. "Sorry," he said, playing dumb, "but we're not supposed to tell anyone what we are."

"Wrong answer," Saizou said and punched the wall so hard it crumbled. All the other students gathered around to see what was happening. "Truth is it doesn't matter," he said, dropping Danny. "Don't go near Moka again. If you do, I'll fucking kill you."

Saizou laughed as Danny sat stunned in the walls tattered remains. Danny just sat there as the crowd began to leave. Some of the students gave him looks of pity while some stopped to mock him, but Danny just sat there too stunned to care.

"_What the hell do I do now…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Morning Danny!" Moka exclaimed as she jumped on the boys back.

"Oh, hi Moka," Danny said giving her a half-hearted smile.

"Danny, what's wrong?" she asked worried.

"Nothing," he lied. "I was just thinking about whether or not I should stay or go back home."

"What?" Moka gasped, "Why would you want to leave?"

"I was just thinking that I might be better off at a human school," Danny sighed.

"No way!"

Danny was surprised by the girl's reaction. "Moka, what's wrong?"

"You can't go to some human school," she practically screamed. "I hate those humans!"

"Huh?!"

"I… I actually went to human schools before," Moka said, "but I just couldn't make friends there because they thought I was different. They're nothing but a race of cruel and heartless people. So you just can't go!"

Danny was stunned by the girls declaration. He looked back at her with a dejected look on his face, "Moka, what would you say if I was human?"

"What?" Moka gasped. "Danny, stop joking," she said with an uneasy smile.

"This isn't a joke," Danny said as seriously as possible. "I really am a human."

Moka gasped at Danny's confession. "_That's impossible,_" she thought slowly backing away from him. "_There's no way a human could be here._"

"So that's it huh?" Danny said at her reaction. "Guess I got my answer," he said turning to leave.

"Danny…," Moka whispered, but making no move to stop him. "_No way…_"

"_This sucks…_" Danny thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_This doesn't make sense,_" Moka was still thinking. She just couldn't get it out of her head. Danny was human. It just didn't seem real. "_It isn't fair,_" she thought as she wandered through the woods with tears in her eyes. "_I finally make a friend and…_"

"Hey babe," came a voice from behind Moka as someone grabbed her wrist.

"Saizou!" she gasped turning to see the large student.

"Someone like you shouldn't be all by yourself when you can be with a man like me," Saizou said licking his lips.

"What are you doing?!" Moka cried trying to pull free.

"Damn," he growled ignoring her plea as he ran his free hand up the inside of her thigh. "You are the hottest girl I have ever seen. This is gonna be fun."

"Stop!" Moka yelled pulling free. She started to run but Saizou threw her against a gravestone before she'd gotten two feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" Saizou grinned as he ripped his shirt off. "My whole body's aching for you Moka. There's no stopping it now."

"Sai-Saizou," Moka murmured in fear as the already huge brute seemed to double in size.

"I just can't hold it in," he growled with a sadistic smile on his face. "I can't keep my human form when I get like this. Oh yeah baby, we are gonna have fun."

"No, someone help," she cowered but no one was there to hear her plea. "_DANNYYYYYYYY!!!!_"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Danny hadn't gone far after his fight with Moka. He just found a tree and collapsed against it.

"What now?" he asked the empty air, hoping for an answer, but none came.

"Maybe if I just told Moka more about humans she wouldn't hate them. She wouldn't hate me…" he sighed. "But that's only half the problem. What the hell am I gonna do about Saizou."

"_You don't have to be afraid to show who you are…_" the chairman's words echoed in Danny's head.

"Who I am is human, even if I do have these powers."

"_Are you..._"

"Yes!" Danny growled trying to clear his head. "I'm not a damn monster like the other people in this school."

"_But monsters are not always the monsters they are made out as…_"

"SHUT UP!" Danny yelled. He felt like his brain was betraying him. "Moka's a vampire! She's a monster like all the others. She's… she's…"

All the memories from the day before came flooding back. The crash where they first met, the hug she'd given him in the middle of class, their tour around the school where she hugged his arm every step of the way… Even the times she tried to suck his blood brought a smile to Danny's face. She's…

"She's my friend," he smiled as he leaned against the tree.

Suddenly, a wisp of blue mist escaped Danny's mouth.

"What?" Danny said surprised. "I thought the board chairman said I was the only ghost here."

"_DANNYYYYYYYY!!!!_"

"Moka?" Danny cringed at the scream. "_What is she…?_"

Danny didn't even bother finishing the thought. He turned in the direction of Moka's voice and ran as fast he could. It didn't matter to him what was going on.

"_She's my friend. And she's in trouble…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Saizou held Moka down with one enormous hand. She couldn't even find the courage to scream again. His true form looked disgusting. His skin had hardened and turned brown like an insects exoskeleton. It jutted out where the muscles and bone interlaced like some sort of sickening armor and all his teeth had sharpened to points.

"Mmmm, you taste good," Saizou grinned as his tongue, which had grown even longer, snaked its way across Moka's cheek. "I should have known a sweet little girl like you would taste so delicious."

"_Nobody's coming,_" Moka thought terrified. "_I hurt the only friend I ever had. Danny, I'm so sorry._"

"MOKA!"

Both Moka's and Saizou's eyes went wide. They turned to see a lone figure running out from the trees.

"Danny..." she whispered.

Danny froze when he saw Moka in the grip of some enormous beast. Even the few ghosts he had seen back home didn't look so frightening. This was the most fearsome thing he had ever seen. And it had Moka.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Moka you little parasite," the massive creature said.

"Saizou?!" Danny gaped when he realized this monster was his classmate. Even when he'd heard the students were monsters he had never pictured something so grotesque.

"Run Danny!" Moka cried. "It's Saizou's true form."

"Moka…," Danny said turning to look at her. Before he could even blink, Saizou had turned and swung his enormous fist. It struck Danny with such force that it sent him flying through the air 'til he crashed into a tombstone.

"_DANNY!_" Moka screamed. Saizou had released her to attack and she rushed over to her fallen savior.

"You weak little bastard," Saizou laughed. "Did you really think you could handle a rouge monster like me you stupid prick?"

When Moka reached Danny he was lying on his back bleeding and out cold. She dropped to her knees in tears.

"Danny," she said as she cried over him. "I'm so sorry. You came for me, even after everything I said about hating humans you still came to save me. Monsters, humans, I don't care. I'm sorry Danny but all I ever really wanted was friends and I still end up hurting the only one I ever had."

"Moka…"

Moka gasped as she felt a hand grab her shoulder. It wasn't Saizou's vicious grip. This one was soft and comforting. She looked down to see Danny giving her a warm smile.

"You must have rehearsed that speech, cause that was really corny," he grinned.

"Danny," Moka smiled, glad to see him alive.

"Moka, I'm the same," Danny continued as he started to climb to his feet. "Whether I'm human, monster, or something in between, I don't care. And I don't care whether you're a vampire, a human, or something as ugly as this bastard," he glared at Saizou before smiling at Moka again. "You're my friend."

"_Danny…_" Moka clapped her hands to her mouth, too overjoyed to speak.

"That's it you piece of shit," Saizou yelled having heard enough. He raised his foot to squash Danny like the bug he saw him as. But when he brought his leg down both Danny and Moka had disappeared.

When Moka opened her eyes Danny was holding her tightly in his arms. She stared in awe at him as they rose from the darkness so effortlessly, almost like they were floating. Once Danny had phased up from underground, he set Moka on her feet and turned back towards Saizou glaring daggers at the teen's beastly form.

"Moka, you _are_ my friend," he whispered to her, never taking his eyes off the creature in front of him. "And I always protect my friends. I'm going ghost!"

Moka gasped as a white ring appeared around Danny's waist. Both she and Saizou watched on curiously as the ring split in two, one moving up and the other moving down. As the rings passed Danny's features changed. In place of his school uniform was a black jumpsuit with a silver collar. Silver gloves and boots appeared on his hands and feet as well. On his chest was a white symbol, a D with a ghostly tail and a P in its center. His skin had turned darker and his hair, snow white. His entire body seemed to radiate with a dull light. And when he opened his eyes, they were glowing a deep, neon green.

"Danny… what?" Moka asked unsure of what to say.

"I'll explain later Moka," Danny said still glaring at Saizou. "Just stay here."

Saizou grinned as Danny stepped forward. "You think I'm scared by your little light show?" he said smiling. "You might think you're strong because you change differently, but I can tell. You've got no demonic aura at all!"

Danny wasn't entirely sure what Saizou meant. In his current state he could feel some type of energy coming off of Saizou. Even Moka released a dull energy, though he had to focus to feel it.

"_That must be what set off my ghost sense,_" Danny thought as he continued to advance. "_Saizou transforming must have released enough of that energy to_ _trigger it_."

"Sorry pal but if you think that will be enough to stop me you're sadly mistaken," Danny said as he pushed off the ground and punched Saizou in the gut with everything he had.

Saizou took the punch without even flinching. He smiled down at Danny with sadistic pleasure.

"Is that it?" he laughed, picking Danny up by the waist in one enormous hand. "Like I said you're nothing!"

Saizou reared back with Danny in his grip and threw him like a fastball.

"Danny!" Moka yelled as she watched him go flying.

"Take that you prick," Saizou laughed. He didn't even wait to watch Danny crash before advancing on Moka. "Now, where were we doll?"

Moka dropped to her knees in fear as Saizou approached. She closed her eyes and ducked as he reached out to grab her. Suddenly, Saizou let out a yelp of surprise. When Moka looked up Saizou was hanging upside down in the air.

"What the hell?" the rouge monster yelled looking up to see what was happening only to see a floating Danny holding on to his ankle.

"And like I said, that's not gonna be enough to stop me," Danny grinned as Saizou hung helplessly. The halfa quickly started spinning in the air so that Saizou was spinning like a top. "Here's the wind up… and the pitch!" Danny cried letting Saizou go and sending him flying like Danny had moments before. "Only something tells me he can't phase through the ground."

"Danny, are you okay?" Moka exclaimed as they heard a crash in the distance.

"Fine," Danny said landing next to her.

"_FENTON!!!_" Saizou roared.

"What do ya know, he does know my name. And I _know_ that sounded familiar."

"Danny, we have to get out of here," Moka pleaded, pulling his arm.

"Moka, running isn't gonna stop anything," Danny argued. "We'll just see him in class every day and he'll keeping going after you. I have to stop him here and now."

"But Danny…" Moka tried to protest.

"Moka, I want you to get out of here," Danny said as they heard Saizou stomping towards them. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"No Danny, I'm not leaving you," Moka said firmly.

"Listen Moka…" Danny was about to argue when suddenly Saizou appeared smashing through a tree.

"Gotcha," he smiled licking his lips and rushing toward Danny and Moka.

"Moka, run!" Danny yelled pushing her away. As he did his fingers hooked around the cross Moka wore, snapping it off.

"_Wha… the rosary…?_" Moka thought before her mind drifted off like she was falling asleep and a dark light erupted from her body.

Danny dropped to his knees coughing, the power was so overwhelming. His ghost sense was going crazy. With each cough, blue mist poured out of his mouth.

"_What the hell is this?_" Danny thought looking down at the rosary in his hand. "_This energy is so cold. I can actually feel my blood freezing._"

"What's going on!" Saizou yelled, suddenly frightened by the massive wave of power. "_This aura is totally insane. What the hell is she?!_"

Both boys watched in awe as Moka's body began to change. Her hair began to turn silver. She grew a few inches until she stood as tall as Danny was. Her already ample chest swelled until it snapped one of the buttons off her uniform. She smiled. It looked beautiful, seductive, confident, wicked, and terrifying all at the same time. When she smiled her canines had lengthened to razor sharp fangs. She opened her eyes and locked them on Saizou. They had turned blood red, and narrowed to slits.

"This aura, the hair and eyes," Saizou muttered as he looked at Moka's true form. "Are you… a real vampire?!"

"What's the matter rouge one?" Moka purred her voice deeper and more sensual. "You want me right? Here I am…"

"You little slut!!" Saizou roared as he charged forward. He reached out to grab her, but when he tried she wouldn't even budge.

"Is that it?" Moka sighed disappointed. "A low class monster like you can't even hope to measure in a contest of strength," she said batting the brutes hand away like it was a fly.

The force of that simple gesture sent Saizou spiraling backwards, crashing hard to the ground.

"You bitch," he muttered trying to climb to his feet, but when he raised his head he saw only Moka's predatory grin.

"Know your place," she said. It was a command, plain and simple, and he had no choice but to obey. Before Saizou could hope to know what was happening, Moka delivered a kick that was so powerful Danny felt the impact from several feet away. He watched in amazement as Saizou flew through the air before crashing hard to the ground, out cold.

Moka turned back to Danny who was still on his knees. He had managed to stop coughing, but he was still breathing hard and his ghost sense was still going full blast.

"What's wrong," she smiled as she stalked her way towards him. "Are you scared of this me?"

"What's going on?" Danny groaned still trying to get his strength back.

"That's right," the vampire said standing over the ghost boy. "I guess the other me didn't tell you about the rosary."

"Rosary?" Danny asked, looking at the cross in his hand.

"That's right. It seals away my true form and my power."

"And you," Danny realized.

"Very good," Moka smiled. "After my power was sealed years ago, the Moka you know developed and I simply fell asleep until yesterday."

"What happened yesterday?" Danny asked finally climbing to his feet and looking the new Moka in the eye for the first time. What scared Danny the most wasn't her incredible strength or the fearsome way she presented herself or even the overwhelming power radiating off her body. It was that despite all of those things, she was still the most incredibly beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

"You," she answered.

"What?"

"You were our first Danny," the vampire whispered, taking great joy in watching the halfa's blush. "The first time we drank from a living being. And I'm not sure whether it was the act, the taste, which was delicious by the way, or something in your blood, but whatever it was, woke me from my slumber."

"Wow," Danny said still crimson, "My blood's like some kind of energy drink for vampires. 'Monster for monsters'…"

"Are you afraid I might drain you dry right now?" she asked playfully.

"If I told you what I was thinking you probably would."

"Well, I have no intention of harming you," she said taking the rosary from Danny. "I've been asleep for so long, I'm still very tired. Take care of the other Moka, until we meet again."

Danny watched as she touched the rosary to its chain, reattaching instantly. The enormous aura faded almost immediately and Moka collapsed against his chest. Her hair instantly turned pink again and she became the Moka who had first run Danny over the day before, sleeping soundly with a smile on her face.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So that's it," Moka said after Danny had explained his position as a halfa. "I never heard of someone who was half ghost before."

"Yep," Danny said looking up at the sky. "I'm not sure exactly what I am, but for better or worse, I guess I'm here to stay."

"Danny," Moka said blushing, "thanks again for everything you did."

"Hey don't worry about it," Danny said with a smile. "We're friends aren't we?"

"Yeah," she said blushing. She sat there looking at her first true friend before laying her head on his shoulder.

"Moka?" Danny said nervously, "You're not thinking…"

"Sorry Danny. Just a little…"she whispered before sinking her teeth into the Danny's neck.

*Chuuuuuuuuu*

* * *

Had to do that at least once. But it does bring me to the first of a few things you guys should know.

Number 1: I am using the **manga** version of R+V. I won't be following it exactly and I might pull a few things from the anime but in my humble opinion, the show just can't compete with the pure badassery in the manga.

Secondly, Danny is older in this story. You start high school in Japan at 15 and I wasn't about to change that. Now despite that little fact, and I'm sure some of you have already caught this, Danny has just gotten his powers. All he has right now are the basics: transformation, intangibility, invisibility, etc. but he does have complete control of those so sorry, no falling pants fiascos. If you're wondering why he has his symbol, it was a gift from Sam before he left (couldn't bring myself to get rid of it).

I think that pretty much covers the basics. Just one thing I wan't to add but I'll handle that in my review section which will be starting......

* * *

...... Now.

Ok so here's how my review section works, I'll start with a quick thanks to my reviewers so thank you **deadpool2.0** and **SpartanCommander** for being my first. Now I won't answer every comment in this section, I don't have the patience or time to do that every chapter for all the reviews I _hope_ I get. I will not give out spoilers so _don't ask _but I will take suggestions into account. I am also happy to answer any questions about things you don't understand although I will try to clear things up at the end of every chapter so you won't have to worry about that. Also I am not opposed to flames if you've got something to get off your chest but like I said last time, please be gentle because I'm new at this. So here's my first response.

**SpartanCommander**: The main thing I want to clear up is that this story has _nothing to do with Tsukune**. **_That being said I just didn't want to erase him from excistense so I dropped him in Amity. That piece at the end was just for fun, but this story follows Danny and his adventures all the way. As for Danny's enemies that will all be addressed _much_ later. The only villain he has fought would be the Box Ghost (who doesn't really count) and a few low level ghosts like the ectopusses and a few other wimpy dinks that I'll leave to your imagination. As for Skulker, I normally wouldn't bother with this but I'm in a good mood, you have to remember that he hasn't excisted forever. That coupled with the fact that without his mechanical suit he's a worthless ball of goop means he couldn't have hunted any ancient monsters. I'll give you that he has hunted other monsters but he's got a _long_ list to go down before he get's them all.

Well that's it ladies and gents. Keep reading and tell me what ya think. Later.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, it's Moka."

"Where?!"

"There she is!"

"She's so beautiful…"

"She's the hottest girl in school!"

"Hey Moka," Danny said stepping out of her sea of admirers.

"Huh?" Moka turned toward the familiar voice and instantly latched onto the halfa's arm. "Morning Danny!"

"What? Who's that guy with Moka?"

"Are thy dating?"

"No chance. I'll kill the punk."

Danny had gotten used to this little routine. It had been a little over a week since Danny began attending Youkai Academy and every day it was the same thing. Guys would ogle Moka and praise her beauty (not that she ever noticed). Then Danny would step up and Moka would run to him with open arms (which he thoroughly enjoyed). Then there would be the ignorant ones that had no clue that he and Moka were still just friends and would be shocked they were together.

"_And there goes the death threat,"_ Danny thought with a small smile. "_And 3, 2, 1…_"

"Don't you know who that is. That's the exchange student, Danny Fenton. He was actually strong enough to beat Saizou Komiya!"

"_There it is,_" Danny thought. "_And cue the whining…_" Danny couldn't hear voices anymore, but he did hear several audible sighs and one guy burst into tears. "_Sorry guys,_" he thought not noticing the angry stare locked on them, or more specifically, on Moka.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Danny," Moka said as they walked, "it must be lonely for you being the only human here."

"Oh come on Moka," Danny said grinning at her. "How can I be lonely when I've got you?"

"That's so sweet," the vampire giggled. "You're… really… sweet…"

"Moka? What's wrong?" Danny asked suddenly worried.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I missed breakfast this morning so…"

Before Danny could stop her, Moka had sunk her teeth into his neck.

"Moka, what the hell?!" Danny yelled almost ripping her off his neck. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Moka looked at him curiously. "What's wrong? I was just getting a bite to eat."

"What's wrong is I'm not a freakin buffet table!" Danny yelled storming away.

"Danny wait," Moka said chasing after him, but as soon as Danny walked around a tree, he turned invisible. "Danny…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe she's still doing that," Danny growled looking out over the pond. "She just bites into me like I'm on some kind of menu. Vampire or not that's not how you treat someone you call a friend."

After skipping several stones and taking his anger out on the small body of water Danny decided he should go find Moka. But just as he was about to leave a young girl came stumbling out of the woods a short ways away from him.

"Help," he heard her moan as if she was in pain. Suddenly her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. "Please help me."

Danny rushed over to the girl concerned. If Danny hadn't been so worried about her well being, he would probably have stopped to stare. The girl was extremely pretty. She had short blue hair that was tied back in a pony tail. Her eyes were a deep purple and she had a great figure. Her breasts were especially impressive. Danny didn't know a girl so young could have such an ample chest.

"Are you alright?" the halfa asked dropping down next to her. "_She's just as hot as Moka!_"

"I'm sorry," she said breathless. "I just get so weak. Would you give me a hand?"

"Sure," Danny said helping the girl to her feet. She couldn't hold her footing though and she fell against him. "_Holy crap,_" he thought as her breasts pushed against him like they were about to burst. "_Man they feel so soft and… Dammit focus Danny!_"

"Can you walk," Danny asked snapping out of his reverie, "or would you like me to carry you?"

She gave him a surprised look at the question. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," he smiled down at her before picking her up in his arms. "Now let's get you to the infirmary."

"_I didn't even have to do anything,_" the girl thought. "_Still…_"

"Danny," she whispered seductively in his ear. Danny did his best not to blush as she pushed her breast against him more. "Look into my eyes."

XXXXXXXXXX

"_I can't believe how stupid I am_," Moka thought as she searched for Danny. "_I just suck his blood without even thinking. No wonder he got mad at me. I've got to apologize._"

"Danny it's so sweet of you to carry me like this," came a voice from outside.

"Don't worry about it beautiful. I'd hate to see you hurt."

"_Danny?_" Moka stepped outside to see Danny carrying a girl in his arms and nearly hit the roof.

"Danny, who is that?" Moka asked getting their attention. "And why are you carrying her?"

"Oh, hey Moka," Danny said, his smile fading instantly. "This is Kurumu Kurono. She needed to go to the infirmary."

"Danny we should hurry before class starts," Kurumu said with a glint in her eye.

"You got it," the ghost boy smiled to the girl in his arms.

"Danny wait," Moka called as he turned away from her.

"Wait for what?" he called back without looking at her. "Did you want a snack before class?"

Moka gasped as Danny walked away leaving her sad and humiliated.

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny didn't say a word to Moka during class. She was leaning against the wall trying to figure things out.

"I'm sure I heard Danny call that girl beautiful," the vampire said to herself. "And they really looked like a couple with him carrying her around like that. And I can't believe he said that to me. Even if… I did deserve it."

"_**Get a hold of yourself!**_"

"Who said that," Moka squeaked looking from side to side but no one was there who could have said anything.

"You're a vampire right?" a voice from above asked. Moka looked up to see the girl Danny had been carrying sitting on the stairs railing. "At least that's what the rumors say."

"You're the girl that was with Danny," Moka gasped. "Kurumu…"

"Well I see I don't have to introduce myself," she said jumping down catching the attention of every boy in the hall.

"Wow she's beautiful!"

"Did you see that? Her panties are pure white!"

"Forget her panties, her boobs are HUGE!"

"She's almost as pretty as Moka…"

Kurumu flinched at the last remark. "You're a real pain you know that? You just keep getting in the way of my plan."

"Plan?" Moka asked confused.

"That's right," Kurumu said striking a sexy pose. "My plan to turn every boy in Youkai Academy into my slaves."

"Your slaves?" Now Moka was really confused.

"That's right," Kurumu continued, ignoring the dumbfounded look on the vampires face. "I should have had every boy a slave to my beauty from day one. But now they're all falling for you! And I won't let you get away with it. I'll prove I'm better by making Danny fall for me instead."

"What?" Moka gasped. "No, Danny has nothing to do with this."

"I see why you like him," Kurumu taunted. "He's cute. And he's got a wonderful scent. Just like a human. That's why you decided to make him into an entrée."

"Hey Moka!" Danny called running up. "Moka I wanted to say I'm sorry about…"

"Dannyyyyy!" Kurumu cooed throwing herself against his chest.

"Kurumu…" Danny blushed as she pressed her boobs against him. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to thank you for earlier," the bluenette purred as she cuddled with the young halfa.

"Danny get away from her!" cried Moka. "She's dangerous!"

"That's so cruel," Kurumu said pretending to faint. "Ohhhh, Danny I'm getting dizzy again…"

"Kurumu," Danny said catching her.

_*CHARM*_

When Danny looked in Kurumu's eyes, he started feeling dizzy. It was just like the last time when he'd picked her up. He knew what he was doing but it just didn't feel like he was the one doing it.

"Please Danny," Moka begged. "Get away from her. She's just trying to take you from me."

"Maybe she should," Danny heard himself say. "Or else you'll probably drain me dry in a week."

Moka couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she backed away from the two. Kurumu smiled at the despair on Moka's face and pulled herself tighter against the halfa who just continued to look at Moka with cold, unfeeling eyes. It was too much. Moka turned and ran not even trying to hold back the tears.

Kurumu giggled as the girls sobs echoed through the halls.

"I win."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I don't just want Danny for his blood," Moka muttered crying. "I know I don't. So why would he listen to her over me?"

"_**I can't believe how naive you are.**_"

"Who's there?" Moka gasped. She looked down and was surprised to see her rosary glowing.

"_**I'm you. The other you. And I know what's happening to Danny. That girl is a succubus, a monster that seduces men with a magic called 'charm'. It makes someone of the opposite gender become your slave.**_"

"That's why he wouldn't listen to me! And why he said all those mean things…" Moka said overjoyed that Danny had not meant the cruel things he said.

"_**But there is more to it. A man who is kissed by a succubus is bound to her forever. If you don't free Danny, you will never see him again.**_"

"What! No, what should I do?!"

"_**Hurry…**_"

The rosary stopped glowing and the voice disappeared. Moka was confused, but more than anything she was concerned. She wiped away her tears and ran off to find Danny.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yahoohoo," Kurumu cheered as she and Danny sat on a bed in the infirmary. "I finally got her!"

"_I can't believe I made Moka cry,_" Danny thought staring at the floor. "_She didn't deserve that…_"

Next thing Danny knew he felt like he was being smothered by a pillow. His eyes grew to the size of saucers as he realized what he was actually being smothered by was Kurumu's enormous breasts.

"I know how sad you must be feeling Danny," the succubus purred. "But don't worry. Kurumu will make you feel _allllll_ better."

Kurumu turned back towards the bed, still holding Danny tight against her. Laying his head down on the pillow she brought her leg over and straddled him until she hovered alluringly over the ghost boy.

"_Even my heart is racing,_" Kurumu thought blushing deep red. "_With this kiss, my charm will be complete, and Danny will be my first…_"

She was leaning very close now. So close that her breath tickled the halfa's nose. His blush turned darker as he watched the beautiful girl's lips come closer to him.

"Kurumu," Danny whispered. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's okay Danny," the girl whispered back. "It's almost over…"

Danny's eyes suddenly flashed green. "Is this all about Moka?"

Kurumu went wide eyed. "What are you talking about?" she asked with an unconvincing giggle.

"I don't want this," Danny said, his voice getting stronger as his eyes flashed again. "Not if you just want to hurt her."

"Is she that much better than me?" Kurumu growled. "After everything I did for you. I was even willing to humiliate myself for you!"

Danny let out a gasp of blue mist as a pair of black leathery wings burst out of Kurumu's back. A long black whip-like tail appeared from under her skirt. Finally, her nails turned pink as if they'd suddenly been painted and lengthened until they were as long as daggers.

"Okay now I'm pissed," the succubus yelled flapping her wings and hovering a few feet off the bed. "I'll destroy anything that has to do with that girl!"

"STOP!" Moka cried bursting through the door. Moka charged at Kurumu and pushed her. Even in her sealed state the girl's vampiric strength was enough to send Kurumu flying through the window.

"Moka, wha-" Danny asked grabbing his forehead feeling dizzy.

"Danny you've got to run," Moka called as she ran to the shattered window. "I'm so sorry Danny. That girl is a succubus. She wants revenge on me so she's going through you."

Suddenly, Kurumu's tail appeared and wrapped around Moka's throat. "Gotcha!"

Danny jumped after her as Moka was pulled out the window. Just before he was pulled out as well his hand found the rosary and he ripped it off.

Kurumu suddenly felt an immense demonic aura behind her. Her tail was on fire, and it felt like something was pushing her away. Unable to support it anymore, Kurumu dropped the girl she was carrying. She looked back to see an unnatural swirl of energy.

"_What's going on?_" Kurumu wondered as she fought to keep steady before the aura coming from below knocked her out of the air. "She fell all that way and she's not hurt. And this power's impossibly strong."

"What's the matter little girl?" Moka said her voice now deeper than it had been moments before.

"This is your true form," Kurumu said trying to keep her voice from shaking. "You _**are **_a vampire."

"That's right. And you're the girl who was foolish enough to try and steal from me," Inner Moka replied with that same frighteningly beautiful smile. "How egotistical."

"Don't screw with me!" Kurumu yelled, her confidence building. "You don't know me! My species is on the verge of extinction. We succubae tempt men until we find our 'destined one'. The one person who will be with us always so we can keep our race alive. I don't care how strong you are. I have everything at stake! I won't let you get in the way!!"

Kurumu cried out as she dove toward Moka at full speed.

"So slow," Moka smiled as she dodged the succubus' claws with ease before grabbing the girl's tail and slamming her to the ground making a large crater. "Know your place."

Kurumu's eyes filled with tears of pain and sorrow at having lost so easily. "_I- I couldn't even touch her,_" she cowered as the vampire's crimson eyes bore down on her.

"How pathetically frail you are," Moka mocked looking down on her prey. "Maybe I should just rip of your wings and tail so you can never fly again."

"No," Kurumu moaned. She closed her eyes as she saw Moka prepare to deliver a final devastating kick. But it never came. When the succubus opened her eyes there was a figure in black and silver holding the vampire's ankle in mid strike.

"That's enough Moka."

Moka raised an eyebrow in surprise and annoyance. "What do you think you're doing Danny? This girl tricked you and tried to kill you."

"Nah" Danny said smiling, "she just got a little carried away. Same way you did just now."

"I didn't get carried away," Moka argued as Danny released her leg. "I just didn't want her stealing your blood away from me."

"That's sweet. But seriously, Kurumu's a good person and she had her reasons." Danny said before turning back to the succubus. "See ya, Kurumu."

Kurumu blushed at Danny as the two made their way back to the school.

As they walked away, Moka couldn't help but wonder, "_Last time, he couldn't even stand when faced with my aura. But this time he actually managed to stop one of my kicks cold. Danny, just what are you…_"

"I still say I should have finished her," the vampire insisted. "I'm not as naïve as you and the other me."

Danny chuckled. "Maybe, but you're still pretty naïve if you think you're as heartless as you're acting."

Moka turned her head and scoffed before Danny could see her blush and taking her rosary. "Just don't fall for something so foolish again."

Danny smirked as she attached the cross to its chain and traded places with her other self.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked as Outer Moka rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes," the vampire smiled as she looked up at her friend. He was her friend, not just food, she knew now without a doubt.

"Good," Danny smiled. "Then we should get to the infirmary."

"What?" Moka asked surprised. "No really Danny I'm okay."

"Oh it's not for you," Danny muttered grabbing his wrist. "I think your alter ego broke my hand."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"So the rosary started talking to you huh?" Danny said rubbing his bandaged wrist as he and Moka made their way to class the next day.

"Yeah, it's never done that before," Moka replied with a smile. "Maybe the seal is weakening."

"Beats me."

"Uh, Danny," Moka blushed. "If the seal ever stopped working, w-would you still like me?"

Danny chuckled at her question. "You dork. Of course I would. Even if you suck my blood from time to time."

"Good morning!"

Danny and Moka both turned to see Kurumu with a basket full of cookies.

"I made some cookies Danny," the bluenette smiled. "Would you like some?"

"Um sure thanks," Danny said taking one.

"Kurumu what are you doing here?!" Moka yelled scaring Danny and making him drop the cookie before he could take a bite.

Kurumu blushed. "Well remember when I said I was looking for my destined one?"

"Yeeeeaaah," the two said together, unsure they liked where it was going.

"Well I've decided… it's Danny!"

"WHAT!!!!" Moka shrieked.

"You risked your life for me and you were so kind even before I used my charm on you," Kurumu giggled, her blush deepening. "I've totally fallen for you."

Before she could continue, Kurumu and Moka locked eyes. You could just see the sparks flying as the two mentally fought over the halfa. In an instant they had each latched onto an arm and began a tug of war for the boy.

"Oh crap," he muttered and turned intangible making both girls fall on their butts. Before they could get to their feet Danny was off like a shot.

"Danny come back!" the girls called after him.

* * *

And so the harem begins. Hope you're enjoying it so far. I know it isn't very original yet but give me some time and it'll get there.

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers.

**SpartanCommander:** I take it you're a pretty big Skulker fan. Well you did raise some decent points but what do you say we just agree to disagree on this. I don't want my story taking backseat to 'The GhostZone's Greatest Hunter Debate!' especially since I don't know if he's gonna be in this yet. As for the thing about romance in the first chapters/episodes ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! If you know anything about Rosario+Vampire then you know that all the girls fall for the main character after just one encounter. Hell, Mizore hadn't even met the guy yet and she was infatuated with him. On the other hand I'm not just gonna have this story be all romance and mush, that's only gonna be part of it otherwise I would have this a romance. Now about Danny, that can go either way. He spent the whole day hanging out with Moka and whether she's a friend or not he doesn't want her hurt. If someone you knew screamed (especially if they called you like their life was in danger) would you just ignore them? Well now that my rant is done, yes your review did help cause I got at least one idea so keep em coming.

**Engelmohr2004:** Glad you like it. No Danny doesn't have any powers but the basics, not even the ghost ray. But him learning them while he's here is all part of the fun. As for fighting Danny's older self, like I said last time I don't do spoilers so I can't say one way or the other.

Well that's all for tonight boys and girls so until next time I bid you farewell...


	4. Chapter 4

Alright Ecto Soldier is back! Happy to have the company dude. Well in honor of my fellow DPRVer's return and as a thank you for my first ten reviews ever here's another early chapter for you. Enjoy!

* * *

"YES!" Danny yelled after seeing his exam results. "I'm actually in the top hundred!"

"Danny calm down," Moka blushed at her friend's reaction. "Everybody's looking."

"Sorry," Danny said still in disbelief. "It's just considering my track record I thought being number 85 was a miracle."

"Yeah Moka," Kurumu said, "We can't all be geniuses like you Miss 13."

"So what rank are you Kurumu?" the vampire asked.

"Oh who cares what rank I am…?" Kurumu giggled nervously.

"She's over here," Danny called from the other end of the ranking board. "Number 190."

"I'm gonna _**faaaaail!**_" Kurumu wailed.

"Ah come on," Danny said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Believe me, if I'm actually in the top third, you can make it up in no time."

"Yeah we'll help," Moka said with a bright smile.

A short ways away, a little girl blushed when she saw Moka's smile. She was very short, with short brown hair that didn't quite reach her shoulders. She wore a brown vest with a large yellow ribbon at the chest along with her uniform skirt. But that was the most normal thing about her clothing. She was wearing a long brown cape that ended at her knees and a large old fashioned witch's hat.

"Moka…" the girl whispered.

"Congratulations Yukari," came a voice from behind the girl. When she turned around, three students stepped up to her, the head of which was wearing an officer's armband.

"Class representative," Yukari greeted nervously.

"Impressive aren't you? 11 years old and you're number 1 in our year. No wonder they put you in high school," the class representative said with sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Thank you," she muttered avoiding his harsh gaze.

"You're just so damn cocky," the older student growled getting annoyed. "Like that outfit… It's completely against the schools rules. You're constantly causing trouble with your annoying pranks. And to top it off, you're not even a monster, you're a filthy, half-blood witch. You make me sick you brat."

"You said it Eki," one of the representative's followers laughed.

"Yeah," snorted the third.

Yukari flinched at the representative's words. She reached behind her and grabbed a small wand topped with a heart with a pentacle inside it. She waved the little staff to and fro behind her back. As she did, a small stone was lifted from the ground and flew into the larger students head. He growled in pain when the girl's magic projectile hit him.

"Haha! You deserved that!" the girl laughed brightly as he clutched his head.

"You brat!" Eki yelled raising his hand to punch her.

"Stop!" cried a pink haired blur that jumped in front of the little witch.

"Moka!" Yukari gasped blushing.

"I don't know what's going on but I can't let you hurt a little girl," Moka said firmly.

"Hey check it out."

"Yeah, Moka is defending that little witch girl."

"_Damn, there's too many people here,_" the representative thought. "I'll remember this Yukari. Let's go guys," he growled to his lackeys as they stalked off.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you so much for saving me. I'm Yukari Sendou."

She was sitting at a table outside the school with Moka and Danny.

"Wow. You're only 11 and you're top of the class," Moka smiled. "And that outfit is really cool."

"C-cool? M-me?" Yukari stuttered blushing furiously. "You're the one that's cool. And pretty and sweet too."

"_Wow,_" Danny thought. "_This girl really likes Moka. She's totally babbling._"

"Actually Moka," the young witch whispered, her blush growing deeper. "I-I-I WUV YOU!!"

"What?!" Danny and Moka were dumbfounded when Yukari jumped at Moka hugging her chest tightly.

"Every day I saw you I fell in love with you a little more," Yukari continued nuzzling her face into Moka's breasts. "And now you saved me. I really love you! Will you go out with me?"

"_I don't like where this is going,_" Danny thought wiping some blood from his nose, "_And why is it doing that again?_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Everyone in the hall was bright red when Moka walked by with the little witch girl hanging from her chest. Moka especially.

"Moka's breasts are even bigger then they look," Yukari giggled. "And they're so soft."

"This really isn't appropriate," Moka muttered as some older students whispered and pointed at the spectacle.

"Yukari what are you doing?" Danny asked as he stepped out of the crowd.

"You just stay out of our way," Yukari said immediatly going on the defensive. "I know all about you. Danny Fenton: the American exchange student. Grades: barely in the top one third. Athletic ability: average, much like a humans. No hobbies, no special skills. For all accounts: ordinary."

"Ouch," Danny said under his breath.

"You and Moka are way too different. I love Moka and I'm not going to let someone as worthless as you drag her down," she cried pulling out her wand. "So I'm declaring war! When I'm done, you'll never go near Moka again."

Yukari started waving her wand back and forth like an orchestra conductor. When she did the door to a nearby janitor's closet sprang open and several brooms came floating out, dancing to the rhythm of the wand. Suddenly, the brooms started attacking the halfa.

"Ow, hey stop! OW!" Danny yelled as he started running from the attacking brooms with Yukari giggling.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ow!"

"Sorry Danny," Kurumu said as she treated his injuries. "Why didn't you just go intangible when she sent those things after you?"

"Because unlike some people, I don't think I should use my powers unless there's an emergency."

"You didn't think of it did you?"

Danny groaned. "No."

"So I guess you can't hang around Moka with that girl around," Kurumu said trying to hold back her glee at the idea of having Danny to herself. "You know, I've heard rumors about that girl. Even though she's supposed to be a genius she's still a selfish little kid. All her classmates hate her because she pulls so many pranks."

"You don't sa-" Without warning, Danny punched himself in the face.

"Danny what are you… Oh!" Kurumu moaned as Danny suddenly grabbed her breasts and started playing with them.

"Kurumu I'm sorry! I don't know what's going on!" Danny yelled in clear shock. It only got worse when he heard a knock on the door.

"Danny I managed to lose Yukari," Moka called entering the room and gasped when she saw him fondling the succubus. "Wha-What is going on in here?!"

"Moka it's not me!" Danny yelled. "I can't control my body! I swear!"

"Danny I never thought you would be such a… _pervert!_" Moka growled.

Yukari giggled outside the window when she heard Danny's cries of pain.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Sorry Danny," Moka apologized after the misunderstanding.

"If you're sorry then let me at the little brat!" Danny yelled pointing at the little witch hiding behind Moka.

"Now Danny just calm down."

"Calm down?! She beats me with brooms, chases me away from my friends, uses a voodoo doll on me, turns me into a shining example of the 'stop hitting yourself ' joke, makes me molest Kurumu, convinces you I'm a perv so you'll beat the crap out of me, and you're still defending her?"

"Danny, she's just a kid," Moka said.

"That's bull and you know it," Danny yelled back.

"Who cares what you think?" Yukari said. "I'm a genius. It doesn't matter what some moron like you says, right Moka?"

"Now wait a second Yukari. You really have been going too far. And you can't talk about Danny like that," Moka scolded. "He's my friend."

"What?" Yukari gasped. "But I'm your friend…"

"What you are is some whiny kid that's done nothing but bug us," Danny growled. "Doesn't feel so good to be out there on your own does it?"

Yukari's face suddenly turned very serious. "That's okay… I've always been on my own."

Danny was taken aback by her response. "Yukari…"

With a quick wave of her wand Yukari had dropped a water basin on Danny's head.

"Yay! I gotcha! I gotcha!"

"You little…!" Danny yelled as the girl ran out of the room giggling.

"Danny stop!" Moka said blocking his path. "How can you be mad at her?"

"What?" Danny asked confused. "Moka I'd tell you but it would take me an hour to go through that list again."

"If you understood her feelings, you'd feel sorry for her," Moka said before chasing after the young witch.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Yukari hadn't stopped running since her fight with Danny in the infirmary.

"_She thinks he's more important than me,_" Yukari thought with tears in her eyes. "_She's just like the others…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"She's only 11!"

"Why are we stuck in the same class with that baby?"

"What's with that stupid witch costume?"

"Witches aren't even real monsters, they're more like humans."

"You've got no right to be here. Get lost!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_That's fine,_" Yukari thought trying to fight back her tears. "_I don't mind being alone."_

Yukari was forced from her memories when she crashed into another student.

"Oww," Yukari cried rubbing her eye. "Watch where you're going stupid!"

"You're the one that ran into me you sniveling little bitch," the larger student said as two other voices chuckled behind him. "Now that's just rude."

"Class representative?!" Yukari gasped.

"Did you think I'd forgotten about earlier?" Eki growled, a forked tongue slipping through his teeth. "No chance."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why the heck would Moka feel sorry for her?" Danny wondered. "All she's done is cause trouble."

"Beats me," said Kurumu. "Maybe it's because she's one of the hated races."

"Hated races?" Danny asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Kurumu asked surprised. "Well you see, witches are what you would call 'border beings' although most people just call them half-breeds. They've always been discriminated against because they don't completely belong to either world. They don't have another form or even a demonic aura so they can't truly be called monsters. But compared to humans…"

"They have powers that make them different… They don't know where they belong…" Danny realized. "_Just like me._"

"Pretty much."

"I gotta go Kurumu," Danny said sprinting for the door.

"Hey, wait up!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Help!" Yukari cried as she was dragged through the fog covered woods.

"What an annoying sound," Eki laughed throwing the young witch against a tree. "Who do you think would come to help you anyway half-breed?"

"Get back!" Yukari yelled, pulling out her wand, but before she could use her magic, the class representative had snatched it out of her hand.

"So disgusting" Eki growled as the three students skin turned green and scaly. "It gonna be fun getting rid of you."

Yukari looked on horrified as the three men's face elongated to scaled snouts with long sharp teeth. Tails sprang out of their backsides and their hands turned into fierce claws. For all accounts the three of them looked like giant iguanas standing on their hind legs.

"What should we do with her guys?" Eki asked chomping his alligator like maw on Yukari's wand.

"_My wand!_" the girl thought horrified. "_I can't use magic without it. What do I do?_"

"Let's eat her," one of the lizardman suggested.

"Yeah," the third agreed.

"That sounds good," Eki laughed, a fearsome smile spreading over his scaly face.

"STOP!!"

Everyone turned to see Moka running up.

"Moka Akashiya," Eki growled. "You really do have lousy timing."

"Run Moka!" Yukari yelled. "If you stay they'll eat you!"

"Don't act so tough," Moka said smiling despite her fear. "It's okay to ask for help you know."

"What are you talking about? Get out of here!" the young witch screamed as the class representative grabbed her arm.

"I know what it's like to be alone," Moka said calmly, making the little girl gasp. "I've been alone most of my life too. I understand what you're going through, and that's why I can't leave you."

"What the hell are you doing you bitch," Eki yelled at Moka in annoyance. "You think you can just ignore us like… OWW!!" he cried out as Yukari bit down on his arm. "You damn brat!" he roared swinging his claw.

Yukari watched in horror as the claw flew at her before she felt something grab her from behind and pull her to safety.

"It's okay Yukari. I got you."

"Danny?!" the young witch gasped.

"Not another one," Eki spat as Danny's cold blue eyes glared at him. "Dammit, get Akashiya!"

"Yoo-hoo," a voice called playfully. The lizardmen turned to see Kurumu in her true form hovering several feet in the air with Moka under her arm. "Did you boys lose something?"

"Nice job Kurumu," Danny called, "I'll take it from here. Going ghost!"

A ring of light appeared around Danny's waist and split in two. In moments his ghostly form was standing in front of Yukari. Kurumu flew down and landed beside the ghost boy.

"Need a hand?" she asked setting Moka beside the little girl.

"Thanks but no. I need to take care of this one," Danny said walking toward the three lizardmen.

"Just who do you think you're dealing with you little weakling?" Eki roared. "Rip him apart!"

"You got it boss!"

"Yeah!"

"You know guys like you…" Danny growled, not noticing as his hands began glowing a spectral green, "…really _PISS ME OFF!_"

As Danny reached out to grab the two charging beasts, a bright green light exploded from his hands. The lizardmen roared in agony as the light struck them with such force that they were sent flying into the trees. They hung from the branches, breathless, burned, and unconscious.

"What the heck?!" Danny exclaimed looking in shock at his still glowing hands.

"_What was that?!_" Eki thought bewildered. "_He blew both of them away in one shot and he didn't even realize what he was doing. I-I've got to take him out fast while he's still confused._"

"DANNY!!" the three girls yelled together as the lizardmen's leader charged the still stunned halfa. They gasped in horror as they watched the monsters ferocious jaw snap shut on the ghost boy's head… and pass right through it.

"What?!" Eki shrieked as he fell through Danny's body without even touching him.

"Sorry, dinner table's closed," Danny said turning on the fallen reptile, his eyes flashing brighter for an instant, "But here's a little desert!"

Danny's fist still shone with green energy as he brought it down on Eki's head with enough force that the lizardman's head shattered the ground. The monster lay sprawled out on the forest floor with his forked tongue hanging from his broken jaw.

"I could get used to that," the ghost boy smiled at the girls as two white rings returned him to his human form.

"Danny," Moka and Kurumu cried overjoyed to see him unharmed.

"Don't worry you two I'm…" Danny was cut off as Kurumu jumped at him, hugging his head to her breasts and causing blood to spurt out of his nose. "_Why does this keep happening?!_"

"Danny I was so worried," the bluenette succubus cried as she hugged him tighter. "I thought he'd eaten you."

"Kurumu he can't breathe!" Moka yelled as she tried to pull the girl's hands away.

"Why?" Yukari asked getting the attention of the other three. "Why did you come to help me after all the things I did?"

Danny chuckled. "You know Yukari, for a genius, you're a real idiot." When she looked at him in confusion, he continued, "If you wanted friends so badly, all you had to do was ask."

She looked from Danny to Moka to Kurumu, each of which gave her a reassuring smile.

"Y-y-you… m-m-mean…" she sniffled before bursting into tears of joy. "_I don't have to be alone…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yukari's really turned herself around," Kurumu said to Moka as they walked through the halls a few days later. "Apparently, she's apologized to her entire class and gotten friendlier. It looks like her classmates are treating her better too."

"That great," Moka smiled "Maybe now things will be back to normal."

"I WUV YOU DANNY!"

"Hey guys," Danny sighed as he came walking up with Yukari on his back.

"I think you might have spoken too soon."

* * *

Well there you go. Danny has a new power and a new girl following him around. Next chapter is just about ready, I'll have that up for you this weekend. I think you'll enjoy it. By the way, Eki is not the guys real name (at least I don't think so) but it beat the heck out of calling him 'class representative' the whole time.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**Iwannabeahero: **I agree, I also think that Danny is more observant than Tsukune. On the other hand, Danny doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would ask questions he doesn't think he needs the answers to. He's already seen Moka, a vampire, walking around in daylight and wearing a cross, two things which are supposed to hurt her. So basically he's thrown out all vampire lore he knows and left it at that. Short version, yes Danny is clueless about Moka's weaknesses (which interestingly will be addressed next chapter...).

**thepenultimatefailure:** First of all don't ever feel the need to apologize for ramblings. A review for me is good one way or the other. Second, glad you enjoy the story. Lastly, I'm trying to to add a Danny Phantom touch while still staying true to the manga. The further we go into the story the more original it should become so just bear with me.

That's it for tonight kiddies. Sweet dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

Here we go again.

* * *

"Wow, all these booths are for clubs?" Danny asked as he and Moka walked down the line of stalls.

"That's right," Moka smiled back at him, "Don't you have clubs in school back in America?"

"Well sure but we never made this big a deal out of it. I feel like I'm at a carnival or something."

"So what club do you think we should join?"

"I dunno. Maybe we should find Kurumu and Yukari so we can all be in the same one."

"Their classes won't get to look for a while," Moka huffed, glad that she still had Danny to herself for a while.

"Well then I guess we should just look around for now and see what looks good," Danny said.

XXXXXXXXXX

"All these clubs are too scary," Moka cried as they ran away from the Mummy Club.

"I can't believe it. All these clubs and not one of them is just normal," Danny growled annoyed. "_The only thing that's been good about this stupid club fair is that Moka keeps hugging me. I'm glad I got the nosebleed thing under control._"

"Moka…?" whispered a low voice as a camera lens popped into view.

"For the last time she's not doing any nude pics!" Danny yelled punching the creepy Photography Club student that had been following them all day.

"I'm sorry Danny," Moka sighed "I've caused you nothing but trouble today and we still haven't found a good club."

Danny chuckled. "First of all, no matter what you think, you haven't caused me trouble since we met," he said before noticing a large group of students (all guys) gathering around a nearby stall, "And secondly, there's still plenty of clubs left. Come on, let's see what's going on over here."

Danny and Moka pushed their way to the front of the crowd. Once they had, Danny's jaw hit the floor. Standing there were seven incredibly hot girls, all wearing sexy swimsuits. The girl at the head of the group had long blue green hair, and light green eyes. She had on a purple bikini with a purple wrap. When she saw Danny, she winked at him.

"I'm the head of the Swimming Club, Tamao Ichinose," she said flashing him a smile. "Let's swim together."

Danny blushed when the beautiful senior paid him special attention. "Hey Moka how about this? Swimming Club seems normal. Sounds like it could be fun too."

Moka squeezed her rosary in her hand. "Swimming? But I…"

"Currently," Tamao said interrupting Moka, "All the members of the Swimming Club are girls. Any men who join will get… _special_ services from the seniors."

"I'll join!"

"Me too!"

"I wanna swim!"

"Please teach me!!"

"What about you?" Tamao asked Danny seductively. "Why don't you come and take a look? I'll take good care of you…"

"I'm going too," Moka yelled stepping in front of Danny. Tamao just smiled at the younger girl.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Tucker would be so jealous of me right now…_"

"That's very good Danny. But you should move your arm more like _this_," Tamao said moving Danny's arm and pressing up against his back.

"Uh, o-okay," the halfa stuttered. "_Don't get a nosebleed… Don't get a nosebleed…_"

"_Jeez, what's Danny thinking being all flirty,_" Moka growled as she watched Tamao 'teach' Danny.

"Hey Moka, don't just sit against the fence," Danny called. "Why don't you grab a swimsuit and jump in?"

"It looks like she doesn't want to join us. I guess that means I've got you all to myself," Tamao whispered in his ear, hugging him tightly.

"That's it!" Moka stood up yelling angrily. "The only reason you want to join the swimming club is to get close to the girls, isn't it?! I'm leaving!"

"Moka what are you talking about? I was just trying to pick something we'd both like," Danny said.

"But Danny…" Moka started but was suddenly splashed by water. She quickly jumped back as if she'd been burned.

"Come on," Tomao giggled, "You're acting like a little kid. If you don't want to be here, then just go."

"Moka," Danny called as she ran off.

"Leave me alone!" the vampire shouted leaving the confused halfa at a loss.

XXXXXXXXXX

Moka leaned against the building as she limped away from the pool. Her body felt like someone was using a stun gun on her. She collapsed to the ground in pain as another painful jolt racked her body.

"_**You fool!! Why were you so close to something like a pool?!**_"

"You?!" Moka gasped as she heard her other self.

"_**Water is our weak point. Its purifying properties can drain vampires like us.**_"

"I know…" Moka groaned as she felt another electric shock.

"_**You should stay away from that boy. He knows nothing about you. He doesn't even care about your feelings.**_"

"No…" Moka cried "Why can't I be like everyone else? I want to be with Danny…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Danny, what's wrong," Tamao asked.

"Sorry, but this just isn't any fun without my friends," Danny sighed. "I appreciate you letting me try the Swimming Club but I think I should go find Moka."

"Now, now," the senior said, a hungry smile crossing her face, "After I go to the trouble of running her off, you want to chase after her. Now I just can't allow that."

"What do you mea-" blue mist interupted Danny as it suddenly appeared from his mouth and he started to feel very cold.

"_What the hell?_" Danny thought his breath quickening. "_What's with all these demonic auras?_"

"Hey what are you doing?!" Danny heard someone shout. He turned to see one of the girls that had been with Tamao bite one of the other boys in the pool. As soon as she did, the boy's body shriveled up like it was being flash mummified until it resembled a crying corpse.

"Don't think too badly of us," Tamao said. Danny could still hear her voice echoing as she dove underwater. "Luring men to the water to drain their life away is just a mermaid's nature."

Tamao suddenly jumped high into the air. Her legs had turned into a long orange fishtail. Her hands had become webbed and she had small yellow fins on her wrists and ears. Danny looked around to see that all the girls who had been recruiting for the Swimming Club had all gained identical features and were biting into all the other students, who quickly met the same fate as the first boy.

"Mermaids?" Danny gasped. "This is nuts! Why are they killing everybody?"

"Oh don't worry Danny," Tamao giggled as she appeared behind the halfa and wrapped her arms around him. "You're special. You smell so delicious that I just can't bear to drain you…"

Danny's eyes went wide as the mermaids mouth suddenly grew until it resembled a miniature sharks mouth. It had two rows of incredibly sharp teeth and was wide enough that she could easily bite off his face.

"I'd much rather devour you entirely!"

"Danny!" Moka screamed.

"You again?" Tamao laughed as the girl came running up to the pool. "What great timing. You're just in time to watch me eat your boyfriend."

"No!" Moka cried jumping into the water. As soon as she did, the entire pool looked like a livewire had been dropped into it. Sparks ran through the water but it didn't shock anyone but the pink haired girl. Moka screamed in pain. Unable to keep herself afloat, the girl sank beneath the surface.

Tamao laughed maniacally when she didn't resurface. "What was that supposed to accomplish? Water only hurts vampires you stupid bitch!"

She was suddenly cut off as a green light fired from Danny's hand pushing her away. He threw himself underwater as a white ring surrounded him.

"_I'm sorry Moka,_" Danny thought as he raced towards his friend. "_I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me water hurt you? Why are you always thinking of everyone but yourself you idiot?!_"

As he reached out to grab her, Danny suddenly felt himself being pulled away. Four mermaids had grabbed him and were trying to force him back to the surface. He tried to turn himself intangible, but to his shock, he couldn't! He desperately struggled with the mermaids. More came and pulled at him as Moka hit the bottom of the pool. Her body was twitching in agony as electricity crackled from within her. Danny fired a massive blast of energy from his right hand freeing one side but still the mermaids tried to drag him up.

"_Come on!_" he thought as he battled the women. He reached out his hand toward Moka with all the strength he had. "_At least let this work…_"

It was as if a depth charge had gone off in the pool. The water turned blood red as a powerful energy forced it into a violent whirlpool with Moka at its center. Tamao watch in fear as the massive aura she felt turned the girl's hair silver and her eyes crimson.

"How dare you," Inner Moka growled. "How dare you do this to me! I will make you suffer for this insult!"

"Just who the hell do you think you are?!" Tamao shrieked as her other mermaids surrounded the vampire. "I don't care how strong you think you are but the water is your weakness as well as our territory. You're the one who's going to suffer!"

"Then why don't we change the venue?"

Danny burst out of the water at high speed, pulling Moka into the air.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him angrily.

"Fixing my mistake," he replied turning them both intangible. Moka was stunned as the pain she had been fighting back disappeared almost instantly as the water phased off her body. She could already feel her demonic aura stabilizing. Danny smiled as her features calmed and he felt her energy return to normal. "Better?"

"You think you can get away from us up there?" Tamao screamed before Moka could answer. "We won't let you escape!" she screeched as the mermaids leapt at the two floating figures.

"To take the bait so easily. How like a fish," Moka chuckled as the seven girls flew up to the air unaware they'd already lost.

"Guess so," Danny said with a smile. "Shall we?"

With a quick glance at the ghost boy, Moka twisted in his arms and used his chest as a springboard. Danny was thrown back as the vampire shot towards two midair mermaids. With a simple twist she extended her legs and delivered two punishing kicks that sent both opponents plummeting to earth. Before she had fallen another foot, a hand grabbed her gently by the wrist and held her in the air.

"That wasn't very nice," Danny said with mock anger.

"As you people say 'bite me'," Moka smiled back at him with mild surprise.

"I thought that was your shtick," he replied spinning once in the air before catapulting her toward two other mermaids.

Again, as Moka flew she struck both creatures with her devastating legs and again Danny caught her before she could fall.

"And I suppose that was so much kinder?" the vampire taunted as they turned in the air.

"Hey let me put _my_ foot in _your_ chest and let's see which is easier on you," he said launching her at two remaining mermaids.

"Pervert," she whispered glad he couldn't see her blush as she struck the helpless girls to the ground.

"What's going on?" Tamao shrieked as all her mermaids were defeated with such ease by Danny and Moka's stunning midair dance.

"It's pretty simple really," Danny replied catching Moka's hand again. "The water may be your turf…"

"But the sky is our domain," Moka finished before Danny launched her at the mermaid leader. "Worthless fish, know your place."

Moka brought her leg down on Tamao with bone crushing strength. The Swim Club's leader flew straight down splashing back into her pool. The force of the impact sent water flying in all directions nearly emptying it completely.

Danny caught Moka in his arms again and began floating back down.

"That's unnecessary, I don't need to be handled so fragilely," Moka said.

"I know," Danny sighed. "But now that we took care of them I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should apologize to."

"I know, and I'm gonna apologize to her too. But you both got hurt because I didn't realize something was wrong," Danny said putting her down. "Which now that I look back was really stupid on my part."

Moka sighed and took her rosary from him. "That's what I hate about you the most Danny."

"What?"

"The fact that it's so hard to hate you."

"What? Hey!" Before Danny could get an explanation Moka had reattached the cross.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I really am sorry Moka."

"Danny she heard you the first twelve times," Kurumu growled annoyed.

"Moka's true form sounds really powerful," Yukari sighed blissfully. "And the two of you dancing through the air sounds so romantic."

"Yukari, we were fighting for our lives," Danny said.

"But I can just see it now," the young witch argued. "You spinning her through the sky, holding her close to you, running your hand across her soft, smooth-"

"Danny! Moka!"

"Hi Ms. Nekonome," Moka blushed, happy Yukari had been interrupted when she had.

"I was looking for both of you," said Ms. Nekonome with a bright smile. "You two are the only ones in my class who haven't signed up for a club yet."

"Yeah sorry," Danny said scratching the back of his head. "We never decided on a club."

"Great!" the cat-eared teacher exclaimed making the students jump. "Then why don't you join the Newspaper Club? I'm the advisor and I haven't exactly found any new members…"

"Newspaper Club huh? I gotta admit that does sound cool. What do you think ladies?"

"Yahoo! Sounds like fun," Kurumu cheered.

"If Danny and Moka join, I want to join too," Yukari giggled jumping up and down.

"Sounds like a nice normal club," Moka smiled.

"Well I guess that makes it unanimous. We're in."

* * *

Right. Normal. Well that's another one down. This chapter was pretty easy to write. Interestingly, it wasn't the normal story but the fight scene that was easiest for me. Please tell me what you think because this is my longest fight so far and I was kinda proud being a beginner. Can't you just see them twirling through the air hand in hand… Uh oh, sounding like Yukari. But honestly, feedback would be nice. And now, reviews!

* * *

**Ultimate-Zelda-fan: **Yeah Danny has had to adapt pretty fast at Youkai. If you remember, he couldn't hurt Saizou in his first fight (which is why Inner Moka showed up in that first fight for all of you who wanted something original! He wasn't ready okay?!). As for which ghost is gonna show up first, I don't do spoilers so just keep reading to find out.

**thepenultimatefailure: **Wow you're making me blush with all these compliments. As for your harem leader comment, I can see where you are coming from. One of the biggest issues on Danny Phantom was his cluelessness. Despite that, Danny will still know exactly how the girls feel about him. After all, it's one thing when the girl who likes you doesn't say anything. But when you've got a girl (let alone four or more) who confesses her love on a daily basis, it's another story. Although you said Tsukune thought it was his responsibility to keep the girls from killing each other, Danny strikes me as the kind of guy who sees a catfight and makes popcorn.

**Iwannabeahero: **Like you said, Danny avoided being fishfood. As for Gin the perverted werewolf…

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom: **This isn't a really bad spoiler so I'll indulge you. Yes Danny will get all the powers he had in the show. But will it stop there? I wonder…


	6. Chapter 6

Got another chapter for you. Along with a strartling revalation. Please don't be mad but… I took out the introduction of Gin chapter (hides under the blankets). Don't worry, Gin is still in the story, but I told you at the beginning that I wouldn't follow the story exactly. So here's my reasoning. For one, that chapter just seemed to me like a way to show what Gin's true form was for later. I have a plan for that which I personally think is AWESOME! Two, I am a big werewolf fan so that chapter raised a few issues with me. For example, that whole thing with a werewolf getting weaker when the moon is behind a cloud?! What the hell?! No way, not happening. Also, I've been keeping up with the manga and Gin is seeming more and more like a smart guy. He doesn't seem like the type to just lose it like that. I can live with Gin being a perv but I think that part was a little over the top. Anyway, then there's this, Danny _cannot_ beat Gin. Not yet anyway. Love him or hate him Gin's a badass and I didn't want Inner Moka to have to save the day. So those of you who were looking forward to a vampire/werewolf smackdown (ironically on the same week that New Moon comes out) sorry to disappoint. Well now that that is out of the way, hope you enjoy this weeks chapter.

* * *

"Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" Danny yelled, waving the first edition of the Youkai Academy Newspaper in the air. "I always wanted to do that," he chuckled.

"You're such a dork Danny," Kurumu giggled.

"Stop messing around you two," the Newspaper Club president said crouching low. Moka was pinning copies of the paper to a bulletin board and the president smiled wickedly as he caught a peek of her panties.

"Gin you perv!" Yukari yelled dropping a water basin on his head.

"OW!!"

Ginei Morioka, or Gin as he was called, was a second year student and president of the Newspaper Club. He was also the only member other than Danny, Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari. He had slightly long black hair that he held back with a red headband. He almost never wore his uniform, opting instead for either a black dress shirt when he wanted to look cool or a white sweatshirt when he wanted to be relaxed. Today was the one of those 'almost never' occasions. He was a few inches taller than Danny and wore a necklace with a silver wolf. But most of all, he was a completely shameless pervert.

When everyone had first arrived at the Newspaper Club, Gin had had taken every chance he could to peep at the girls whether it was looking up their skirts or staring at their boobs when they weren't looking. Danny had been the only one to notice, but Gin just blamed Danny for all the accusations. Unfortunately for Gin, the girls trusted Danny a lot more than him, and the second years actions were quickly found out.

"That hurt you little brat!" Gin yelled, rubbing the lump on his head.

"It was supposed to you jerk," Yukari yelled back. "The only ones allowed to look at Moka like that are me and Danny! Right Danny?"

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Danny blushed.

"No one's _allowed_ to look at all," Moka blushed holding her skirt down.

"Don't worry Danny," Kurumu cooed hugging her breasts against his back. "You can look at me like that whenever you want…"

"Back off boob girl," Yukari yelled trying to pull Danny away from her.

"Hey Danny is mine!" Moka cried pulling on his other arm.

"_Damn you Fenton,_" Gin thought jealously.

Eventually everything calmed down and the students got back to work. Gin had left sometime while the others were working (not that they were surprised). After they had handed out all the papers Kurumu and Yukari had to carry the empty boxes to the classroom while Danny and Moka cleared the bulletin board.

"Can you believe it Danny?" Moka smiled. "We actually gave out all our papers on the first time."

"I know," the halfa replied, his eyes staring blankly at the board. "I can't believe how well everything is working out."

"What do you mean?" Moka asked curious at the distant look on the boys face.

"Well when I first got sent here, I thought going to school here would never work," Danny said slightly dejected. "And that was before I even knew it was a school for monsters. Going to a place where you don't know anyone and you have no idea what to do. Plus I just got these powers that I didn't understand. Then when I get here I find out about this place being Monster High and I'm scared out of my mind."

"Danny, I'm sorry," Moka sighed sadly.

"Sorry about what Moka?" the halfa said suddenly cheerful. "That's just it, everything is going great! I've made great friends. The time difference doesn't keep me from being able to talk to everyone back home. Fenton Works is doing great back there. My grades are up, I'm learning how to use my powers without worrying about getting caught, and the only fights I've had I've kicked ass! Everything is great!"

"So you like being here?" Moka asked hopefully. "With me…?"

"Yeah, I do," Danny smiled back.

"In that case," Moka blushed as she came closer to him. "Can I suck your blood?"

Danny crashed to the ground. _"Now what__?"_ He sighed with a chuckle as he picked himself up. "Just go easy on me…" he said leaning his head back and presenting his neck.

"Yay!" Moka cheered as she greedily bit into the halfa's neck.

"OW! Okay Moka that's enough," he said trying to pull the girl off. When she didn't move he started pushing a little harder. "OW!! Come on Moka let go. You're a vampire not a pig!"

Unknown to the two of them, someone had stopped to watch the scene unfold from behind a tree.

"A vampire huh?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Moka you've been sucking Danny's blood again?!" Kurumu yelled the next day at the club meeting.

Moka giggled shyly. "How did you know?"

Danny groaned in pain again.

"How many times do I have to tell you," the succubus growled. "Danny is my destined one. If you touch him again I'll kill you," Kurumu said to Moka before turning to Danny and smothering him with a hug. "I'm so sorry Danny," she purred pushing his face deeper into her breasts. "I know she's been torturing you, but I'll make you feel all better."

Muffled words could be heard coming from Kurumu's boobs. Danny brought his hands up and squeezed them both.

"Oh yes Danny," Kurumu moaned. "But you have to be gentler when touching a girl's breasts…"

*HHHHUUUUU* Danny desperately inhaled all the air he could as he phased out of Kurumu's breasts before he suffocated.

"What are you doing you big boobed moron?" Yukari yelled hugging Danny's arm. "Those over-inflated balloons of yours are gonna kill him faster than Moka's blood sucking. You should just leave him with me."

"Who are you calling over-inflated?" Kurumu said as she started wrestling with Yukari.

"That's enough girls" Danny said breaking them up. "I'm fine. So Moka sucks my blood every now and then, no big deal."

"Interesting," came a voice from the door. Everyone turned to see a tall student with silvery hair that was very messy. His eyes were a dark red and had a narrowed slit like the eyes of a cat. "So you're willing to let a vampire suck your blood? That's pretty brave. You must really like her."

"And just who are you?" Danny asked the stranger.

"You know it really is sad," he continued, ignoring Danny. "But vampires are a very strict race. They have a certain set of rules that they follow in life. For example, there is the rule for choosing a companion. So no matter how much you care about Moka you can never be with her."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Danny asked annoyed.

"Please," Moka said sounding upset. "Who are you?"

"I'm a second year, Inui Jyunya," the student smirked. "I'm like you, a vampire."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry if I was rude earlier," Inui said as he and Moka walked through the campus. "I saw you drinking that kid's blood yesterday so I came looking for you. Did I do something to bother you?"

"No," Moka muttered. "It's just that I've never seen any vampires other than my family."

"That's not surprising," Inui said. "Vampires have always been hated and isolated for their power. That's why I've always been alone…"

"_Inui…_" Moka thought, "…_you're just like…_"

"You probably faced the same loneliness I did," Inui smiled. "That's why I'm so glad to have met another vampire."

"This is great," Kurumu giggled as she, Danny and Yukari watched from a distance. "Wouldn't it be great if they got together?"

"No!" Yukari whined pulling on Danny's shirt. "Danny you have to do something!"

"Like what?" Danny asked, never taking his eyes of the pair.

"I can't believe it," Yukari said deep in thought. "I didn't think that rule was real."

"Wait," Danny said turning on her, "You know what that guy was talking about?"

"Yeah I want to know too," said Kurumu.

"Oh no no," the young witch said feigning stupidity.

Danny and Kurumu looked at each other and nodded. "Yukari, you have two options," the halfa said. "Either you tell us what you know…" his eyes began glowing and Kurumu's nails lengthened, "…or we make you."

"Actually…" Yukari started nervously. "Vampires have always been a very proud race that never liked other races. Because of this, they don't allow dating outside their own race let alone marriage. Basically the rule… is that vampires can only be with vampires."

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's been a week," Yukari whined. "Moka still hasn't come back to the Newspaper Club."

"That's because she's been spending all her time with Inui," Kurumu replied smugly.

The three of them were standing on the second floor watching as Moka and Inui passed by below.

"Well at least she seems to be enjoying herself," Danny said when he heard Moka laugh, although his voice sounded less than happy.

"But don't you think it's strange?" the young witch asked looking at a PDA. "I've been investigating that Inui guy and from what I've found he's a well known playboy. He keeps going on about the rules even though he's never seemed to follow them."

"It's probably just because there weren't any other vampires," Danny sighed as he started to leave. "Let's just be happy for them."

"Danny…" Yukari muttered, but he had already disappeared.

"This is great!" Kurumu cheered scaring the little witch. "This is my chance! With Moka out of the way, Danny is mine for the taking."

"Kurumu," Yukari said angrily, but she was gone as well.

XXXXXXXXXX

Later that day, Moka and Inui were sitting off in the woods after class. Moka was staring at a can of tomato juice in a daze. Inui snapped his fingers to wake her.

"What's wrong," he asked. "You're not paying attention."

"Oh sorry," Moka smiled nervously. "I didn't mean to."

Inui looked away and grinned when he saw something. He stepped over to Moka and pulled her to him.

"I-Inui," Moka gasped as he snaked his hand around her waist. "Wait… what are you doing?"

"Wait for what?" Inui whispered pulling her tighter against him. "Were both vampires aren't we? It's only natural for us to love each other. Unless there's someone else on your mind. Say, that exchange student?"

"What are you talking about?" Moka pretended to laugh. "Danny isn't a vampire. I couldn't care less about him."

"That's good," Inui said motioning his head behind her. Moka turned around to see Danny who had walked up while the two had been talking.

"D-Danny," she gasped locking eyes with the ghost boy. Inui pulled her closer, smirking at him.

"Sorry to interrupt," Danny said walking away.

They watched as Danny left them standing there. Moka looked like she was ready to cry. Inui could feel her trembling. After he had left Inui chuckled.

"Just as I thought," Inui said, his smile never fading, "You just can't leave him be. That's not good, anyone other than a vampire is worthless trash. Don't you know the consequences for breaking the rules?"

"Inui… please…" Moka whispered, her voice cracking in fear.

"Enough…" Inui growled happily, his eyes glowing. "Maybe I should just kill that guy right now and sever your useless longing."

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny broke into a run as soon as he was out of sight.

"_What am I getting so upset about?_" he thought. "_It's not like she's my girlfriend. Besides, if she's happy with a vampire, that's what's important._"

"_Is that really the problem?_" another voice seemed to ask.

"_No,_" Danny thought as he came to a stop. "_I just never thought she'd say that I meant nothing to her._"

"_And does that sound like the Moka you know?_"

"Danny?"

Danny turned around and saw Kurumu.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," he lied.

Kurumu stepped over to the halfa smiling warmly. She slid her hands over his shoulders and wrapped them around his neck. She was blushing bright red as she drew closer to the boy.

"Danny…" she whispered coming in for a kiss.

XXXXXXXXXX

"AHHH!" Moka screamed as she was pushed against a gravestone.

"That's pathetic," Inui laughed. "A vampire is supposed to be strong and get pushed around so easily?"

Inui had changed into his true form. He had grown several inches and his fangs had become long and sharp. But his body had become strange. His flesh had hardened and was jutting out from his arms, shoulders, and chest like there were tubes running along his body. The spiky protrusions all let out some kind of strange smoke.

"Or maybe I'm just too strong."

"Inui, just leave Danny alone," Moka said with tears in her eyes. "I don't plan on breaking the rules. Like I said, I don't care about him."

"Well if you don't care Moka," Inui chuckled darkly. "Then you won't care when I kill him…"

The monstrous student reached out his hand to knock Moka aside. Moka closed her eyes for the impact. Before she knew what was happening, someone had tackled her to the ground as she heard the tombstone she'd been against crumble. She opened her eyes to see a familiar black haired figure standing between her and Inui.

"Danny," she gasped. "What are you doing here?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurumu was so close that her breath tickled his nose. It would be so easy. All he had to do was lean forward less than an inch and he would be kissing her. But if he did, there was no going back from kissing a succubus. Still the two drew closer and closer until…

Kurumu head butt him.

"OW!! Kurumu, what was that for?" Danny groaned dropping to his knees in pain.

"I can't do it!" Kurumu yelled angrily at the sky. "It wouldn't be a fair fight!"

"Kurumu what are you talking about?"

"Danny I won't use some cheap trick to win your heart," she said blushing even deeper. "I swore that the moment I chose you as my destined one. I don't care what the odds are against me."

"Kurumu…" Danny started.

"Go talk to her," she said smiling back at him. "She's our friend and you're the only one who can bring her back."

Danny smiled warmly at the bluenette before a wisp of blue smoke came from his mouth.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Like I said before, sorry to interrupt," Danny growled at Inui. "But I'm taking Moka back."

"Danny you can't," Moka cried.

"Listen Moka," Danny said gently. "I know about that stupid rule. And I don't care. This guy is an ass, and if the rules say that you have to be with someone like him, then I'll gladly break it."

"_Danny…_" she thought wide eyed.

"So you know about the rules huh?" Inui chuckled darkly. "Then do you know the consequences for going against them?"

"Inui please don't," Moka cried desperately.

"Moka what's wrong?" Danny asked turning back to her. While his back was turned, Inui struck Danny hard with a punch to the head that sent him crashing to the ground.

"The trash that dares to approach love a vampire have only death awaiting," Inui said with an evil glint in his eye.

"Danny!" Moka screamed as the second year picked up the ghost boys limp body by his collar. "Leave him alone! You promised…! As long as I stay with you, you won't hurt Danny or any of my friends!"

"_What?!_" Danny thought, his eyes going wide.

"I don't care if you are a vampire!" she screamed. "If you hurt him, I'll never forgive you!"

Inui began a low chuckle before he burst out laughing. "Who cares if you forgive me?! Don't you get it Moka?! No matter what you do you can only be my woman! You can never be with anyone else!"

"_No!_" Moka screamed inside her head. "_I don't want that! Danny…!_"

"You…" Danny growled his eyes glowing bright green, "All this time you've been… you've been threatening her?!"

"Shut up you trash," Inui grinned swinging Danny to the ground. The large creature was stunned as Danny failed to hit the ground, instead passing through it. He looked around for the American until a green light appeared in front of his face.

"Okay," Danny's invisible voice said, "Now I'm pissed."

The floating light burst out into a powerful surge of energy. Inui was struck in the face sending him flying several feet away. Danny faded back into view still in his human form.

"Danny wait," Moka yelled, still afraid for her friend. "You're not strong enough to beat a vampire."

"Then it's a good thing this chump isn't a vampire…"

"What?" Moka gasped.

"This guy's a fraud," Danny smiled. "A real vampire wouldn't have been hurt by such a weak ghost ray. And his energy is nothing like yours. He's nothing but a weak fake that I could take easy. Isn't that right Inui?"

The older student just growled at the halfa as he climbed to his feet.

"But as much as I would love to beat the crap out of you, I think a friend of mine would prefer the honors," Danny said drawing Moka close to him. "Let's show him what a real vampire can do…" he whispered.

A fearsome energy erupted from Moka as Danny removed the cross from her chest. It released a light that made Inui feel as if he'd been thrown into the jaws of hell. Moka's eyes turned blood red and her long hair became silver as he watched her change. He trembled as he heard a voice that was both beautiful and terrifying echo around him.

"Onimodoki," Inner Moka chuckled wickedly. "That's your true form isn't it?"

"Care to explain for those of us who don't carry around bite-size monster dictionaries?" Danny asked.

"Of course," Moka smiled. "Onimodoki are the same as bugs who imitate a wasps markings to look more dangerous. They often pretend to be powerful creatures, but in reality, they're weak, frail little bugs…"

"Bitch!" Inui roared as he rushed at Moka, "Who are you calling weak!"

He threw a punch with everything he had. The force of the blow was strong enough that the ground shuddered from the impact.

"You see?!" Inui laughed manically as he trembled from the effort of the attack. "I'm no fake. My strength can crush that of any vampire."

"Pathetic…"

Inui cried out as a hand tightened on his fist and lifted him up with ease. He looked down to see Moka, without a scratch on her, holding him up above her head.

"_Impossible…_" he thought frantic, "_With one hand?!_"

"A vampire's strength does not come from mere muscle," she explained. "It is the ability to turn ones demonic aura into strength. It's much more effective," Moka said with that beautifully cruel smile of hers. "Would you like to try?"

"RRRAAAAGGGHHH!!" Inui roared swinging his other fist.

Moka swung her leg up with incredible force. Inui was sent reeling by her demolishing blow.

"Trash that can't even imitate well," she scoffed as he crashed along the ground. "Know your place."

"Lovely work as always," Danny grinned looking at Inui's battered body.

"To you as well," Moka smiled back at him. "I appreciate you allowing me to finish him. I do not take kindly to those who insult my kind. I'll give you some good news as a reward," she said making Danny raise his eyebrow in curiosity. "What he said about the rules is outdated. In this day and age, vampires are free to love anyone."

Danny turned beet red. "Hang on… Are you saying-"

"I'm not saying anything," she interrupted turning away from him. "I just thought you might like to know. It's not as though I feel anything for you."

"Is that why you're blushing?"

Moka's eyes grew to the size of saucers as Danny faded back from his invisibility right in front of her. The slight tint of pink that colored her cheeks deepened to a bright red. Danny smiled knowingly at her but the shock on Moka's face quickly turned to anger.

"You stupid…" the vampire growled.

"_Oh crap…_" Danny thought realizing he'd pushed his luck too far. "Well later…" he muttered sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Get back here Fenton!" Moka yelled chasing after him. "Know your place!"

* * *

Well…? Not bad right. I'm sure all you loyal R+V fans know this already but just in case, that was the _last_ chapter of the first series. Can't put that at the end of mine so I thought this was a pretty good spot. Also, that little thing with Danny talking to himself, no he isn't developing a split personality like Moka. I just wanted him to second guess the situation. And don't tell me you people have never had an arguement with yourself because I know you have. After all, you don't have to be crazy to do it (insert insane laughter here). Anyway moving on.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**Okami Princess: **Wow, I don't know how to respond to this one since you basically replied to your own questions. Oh wait I know! Glad you're enjoying it. You're right, I can't answer right now but don't worry, I'm on it.

**thepenultimatefailure:** Yeah that always bugged me that they had a harem story where it's **_obvious_** who the guy will choose. So yes, Danny will definatley "play the field". But as you saw up top, Moka has already admitted that she's in love with Danny. And you said that Danny would probably panic when he had all these girls going after him. Ever seen the episode _Beauty Marked?_ That is my only response to that one.

Well those are the only ones I could really come up with a response for. Thanks again to everybody else. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the movies.


	7. Chapter 7

Welcome back and Happy Turkey Day. Glad to see all of you still with me. Here's my latest chapter for you guys so chow down...

* * *

Danny Fenton was in a very bad mood. School had been a major pain that day courtesy of a nasty math test he couldn't focus on, and now the Newspaper Club had been working their butts off for hours trying to meet a fast approaching deadline that was looking less and less like it would be met. But that wasn't his biggest problem.

He'd talked to his parents earlier that day and there had been some trouble at home. Jazz had a boyfriend. That had been the good news. The bad news: her boyfriend was a ghost who had only been using her as a vessel to try and summon his real girlfriend out of the Ghost Zone by having her wear a bunch of items that said girlfriend had worn. Needless to say the breakup had been rocky.

Luckily his parents had managed to dump the punk back in the Ghost Zone with a little help from the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick (aka a baseball bat, aka a bat with the word Fenton in front of it) before something bad had happened to Jazz. Still Danny couldn't help but feel like things would have gone better if he had just been there. One thing was for certain, if he ever saw this 'Johnny 13' when he got home, he was gonna determine if there was a life beyond death for life beyond death.

"Danny is something wrong?" Moka asked while the halfa stared out the window.

"Huh?" Danny replied. "Sorry, I'm fine," he lied, "I was just zoning out for a sec."

"That's good," Moka smiled. "Only two days left before the deadline is up so we have to hurry."

"Well we wouldn't be in this situation if somebody hadn't wasted their time with a certain fake vampire," Kurumu scoffed.

"Or maybe we would be done if the three of us hadn't been spying on them," Yukari said.

"Quit yapping!" Gin shouted. "You guys can talk all you want after you meet the deadline."

"You know this would go faster if you weren't sitting there sipping coffee," Danny snapped.

"I'm just overseeing to make sure you're doing everything right."

"You're not even looking!" the four screamed together.

"Well as long as I'm with Danny I don't care what I'm doing," Kurumu cheered hugging the halfa's arm.

The door abruptly opened and Ms. Nekonome stepped into the room with a grocery bag.

"How's it going everyone?" the club advisor asked handing Danny the bags. "I brought snacks."

"Uh, Ms. Nekonome… this is raw fish," the halfa said as he pulled a fish out of the sack.

"I know. It's better that way," she giggled making everyone crash to the floor. "Oh Kurumu, someone left this letter for you."

"Letter?" she took the envelope from the teacher. On the back it said, 'To My Beloved Kurumu' with the name 'Nagare'. When she opened it she let out an audible gasp.

"Something wrong Kurumu?" Danny asked. The succubus hastily hid the letter in the clubs toolbox.

"Nothing…" she giggled pleasantly as she merrily made her way to the door. "I just remembered something that I have to do so I'll be taking off."

"But what about the deadline?" Yukari yelled after her but the door had already slammed behind her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kurumu was angrily stomping her way across campus. When she had opened the envelope, the first thing she had seen was several pictures of her. The problem was, the pictures all showed her half naked. It looked like some stalkers peep show fantasy. The letter had merely said:

_If you don't want these pictures to go to become public, come alone to the Monster Tree in the main schoolyard. -Nagare_

"_I can't believe someone's trying to blackmail me,_" Kurumu thought as she arrived at the Monster Tree. It was a large old looking tree that definitely resembled a monster. The old wood was rotted and twisted with what resembled an angry face screaming. There was even a chain that had always been wrapped around it like some kind of ancient seal.

"Long time, no see Kurumu," a voice said from the branches. "I hope you liked your pictures as much as I did."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kurumu yelled up at the voice as a boy squirmed down the tree. The boy was wearing a large camera around his neck. He had light brown shoulder length hair that fell in his face. His eyes were black and beady and he had several freckles. The strangest thing about him, however, was how much he was sweating. It was like there was some kind of slime coating his skin.

"I'm Nagare Kanou," he smiled at her. "Remember? We met right after school started…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure so are beautiful Kurumu," Nagare told her. "Can I take your picture?"

"Really? I guess…" Kurumu smiled brightly striking a captivating pose while Nagare eagerly snapped several pictures. "I really am gorgeous aren't I? Am I more beautiful than Moka Akashiya?"

"Well, um… you do have great boobs!" Nagare stuttered.

Kurumu was so pleased with herself that she only heard the praise. "Tell you what," she said. "If you take a really good picture of me, I might just go out on a date with you…"

"Really!" Nagare exclaimed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_I don't remember…_" Kurumu thought. "_When school started I was so worried about charming guys that most of them didn't even register._"

"I've been waiting for you ever since," Nagare said, drool mixing in with his sweat as he stared at Kurumu's ample breasts. "It's time for our date. Unless you want the whole school seeing those pictures of you."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kurumu sure is lazy," Yukari said. "Running off when we get to the important work. We've got no use for someone so stupid."

"Yukari I think that's a little harsh," Danny replied looking up from the paper. "Maybe she just had something important to do."

"I wonder…" Moka muttered catching the others attention. "What do you think she thinks of us?"

"What?" Danny asked.

"The only reason she joined the Newspaper Club is to be close to Danny," Moka continued, a hint of sadness in her voice. "And she really hated me when we first met. The truth is maybe she doesn't consider us friends…"

Everyone sat there silently after Moka had expressed her concerns. Ms. Nekonome looked at them with a sad expression on her face.

Danny finally shook his head. "That's just nuts Moka. Trust me, she just has something important to do."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What's with all the costumes?" Kurumu asked nervously as Nagare showed her several cosplay outfits.

"We're gonna have a pretend photo shoot," the sweaty student cheered. "You'll look really good in these."

"That isn't what I meant by a date," the succubus argued. He was thoroughly creeping her out. "Stop acting like such a…"

"Now now Kurumu," Nagare interrupted. "Are you sure you want to talk to me like that? I happen to know a lot about you. Such as…" Kurumu gasped and turned red at the things he whispered in her ear. "If you don't want to play, maybe I should just tell Danny…"

"No please…" Kurumu begged. "Not Danny…"

"Then let's start with this!" Nagare cheered pulling out a French maid's outfit.

"_This is messed up_," Kurumu thought stepping into the next room to change. "_I shouldn't be dressing up for this slimy perv while everyone else is working on the paper. Maybe I should use my 'charm' to control him._"

Several images floated into the girl's mind. When Danny had first protected her from Inner Moka despite all the trouble she'd caused. Then there were all the times she'd held the boy against her. And the times they'd almost kissed…

"_No,_" she decided. "_I swore after I met Danny that I'd stop controlling people. I'll just get this stupid thing over with and go help the others._"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_I can't believe that creep kept me there for three hours!_" Kurumu thought as she rushed toward the club's meeting room. "_Maybe if I hurry I can still help…_"

She opened the door to see everyone making their way out. They all turned toward the door and gave her an accusing glare. She flinched, expecting someone to yell at her.

"Hey Kurumu, you're late," Danny said.

"We're done for today," Yukari said angrily, "We decided to finish up tomorrow, so you can leave too…"

Kurumu just stood silently as everyone passed her. Before he left, Danny gave her a weary smile and put his hand on her shoulder.

"_Guys…_" she brooded as the door closed behind the halfa. "I'm sorry…" The girl walked around the empty classroom depressed. She sat down at the work table with what was done of the paper.

"Something wrong Kurumu?" The succubus turned to see Nagare in the doorway staring at her through his camera. "Today was really fun wasn't it? Let's have more fun tomorrow."

"What are you talking about? There is no tomorrow! We had our 'date'," Kurumu yelled.

"Really?" asked the sweaty student in mock disappointment. "Well maybe Danny would like to see our pictures from today…"

"What?" Kurumu gasped. "No! You promised you wouldn't show them to anyone!"

"Then we'll have more fun tomorrow right?" Nagare laughed with a grin that showed off his disgustingly large yellow teeth.

"J-just leave me alone!" Kurumu cried as she ran from the room.

Nagare looked down at the work table where Kurumu had been. "Hmm… What have we here?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"AHHHH!" Moka screamed. "Someone stole our drafts from yesterday!"

"Oh no!" Yukari cried, "Someone stole the disk I had with all the data on it! And now the keyboards got some kind of nasty slime on it."

"Slime?!" Kurumu gasped. "_That bastard…_"

"Damn!" Gin yelled slamming his hands on the desk. "We don't have time to look for the thief. Start over. I don't care how little there is, we are not missing our deadline!"

"Um guys…?" Kurumu muttered. "I hate to do this… but I have to skip today…"

"What?!" Moka shouted at the succubus. "Kurumu how can you think of yourself at a time like this?!"

"I'm sorry…" Kurumu whispered barely audible as she walked toward the door.

"I knew it!" Moka cried. "You don't think of us as friends at all. I thought you might but if you can leave us when our backs are to the wall like this then just don't bother coming back!!"

"Moka shut up!"

Everyone went wide eyed at the way Danny had yelled. The halfa just ignored it however and nodded at the succubus.

"Just hurry back this time…" he said.

Kurumu ran from the room before her tears could start to fall.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Welcome back Kurumu," Nagare chuckled as he sat in branches of the monster tree. "I knew you couldn't stay away from me."

"Where are they?" she growled, ignoring his playful tone.

"Oh this?" Nagare asked raising the drafts of the newspaper. "You know the writing in this paper really sucks. And you should have gone with a real photographer like me. This piece of shit is better off burnt…" he smiled wickedly producing a lighter. "So unless you want me to light this up, you might want to listen to me…"

"And if you burn it?" Kurumu asked sternly.

"What?"

"You've already put your filthy hands on something important to me and my friends," the succubus glared at the boy. "No matter what you do, I will never forgive you for that. Now hand them over before I make you!"

"You're actually defying me?" Nagare growled in disbelief. He began sweating much more severely, almost like his skin was melting. Two strange looking pores extended from his neck "I'm a monster too you know. I don't have to rely on this shit. I don't give a damn if you forgive me, but you will do what I say…"

XXXXXXXXXX

It was uncomfortably silent in the classroom while the Newspaper Club worked to replace their stolen drafts. You could feel the tension in the room hanging like a fog.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Danny finally told Moka.

Moka just nodded at first but she couldn't get back to work after he had said something. "Danny, why did you yell at me?"

"Because Kurumu didn't deserve that," he replied.

"How can you say that?" the vampire asked raising her voice. "She ran off as soon as things got tough. She doesn't…"

"Moka!" he yelled cutting her off. When he saw the hurt in her eyes he sighed. "I'm sorry… Moka do you know what happened after I saw you and Inui that day?" he asked in a calmer voice. "I took off. I ran into Kurumu… and we nearly kissed," he could see the hurt in her eyes increase but he continued, "I was so upset about the two of you I probably would have done it too. But she wouldn't. 'I can't do it.' 'I won't use some cheap trick to win your heart.' 'She's our friend and you're the only one who can bring her back.' That's what she said. I came back for you because she cared enough to convince me."

Moka was stunned. She had thought Kurumu would do anything to get Danny for herself but she'd had the chance and chose their friendship first. Moka couldn't believe how selfish she had been to insult her without even stopping to consider how the girl might really feel.

"Guys!" Yukari cried. "This is awful. Look at what I found in the toolbox!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mmmm soft," Nagare laughed as he squeezed one of Kurumu's breast, taking pleasure in her screams of protest. The boy's skin had turned a sickly yellow color. It hung from his body as though it was melting rubber. His arms had become pudgier and stretched out toward her. His fingers looked more like stalks and the pores that had extended from his neck released a foul smelling gas.

"_What's wrong? Why do I feel so sick?_" Kurumu thought as she collapsed against the gym. Her body was trembling violently and she could barely lift her head, let alone stand. Then she noticed the fumes that were pouring out of Nagare. "_It's him… That gas must be toxic! If I breathe in I'm a goner._"

Nagare choked with laughter as Kurumu slid along the wall trying to escape. "What's wrong Kurumu? You sounded so confident a minute ago."

Kurumu found the door to the storeroom and fell inside, slamming the door behind her. She fell against it breathing hard.

"_Damn that creep,_" she thought extending her nails. "_I'm not gonna lose. I've just got to get my energy back before I try and attack._"

"Aren't you gonna invite me in?"

Kurumu gasped. She looked down to see a stalk eye between her legs, rising from a smiling yellow blob.

"What the hell is up with your body?!" she cried leaping away as the sickening being crawled under the door.

"Nice huh?" Nagare cackled. "Did you know that a slug can fit through the smallest cracks? How did you think I found out all about you and those other girls?"

"Others?" Kurumu panted. "How many times have you done this?"

"You know I've lost count," the madslug jeered. "But you're definitely the hottest girl I've ever had."

Nagare was the most disgusting thing Kurumu had ever seen. His body was like yellow vomit covered in black specks. Ooze dripped off his sickening flesh. Pores and stalks protruded from his body in random places making it appear as though more slugs were trying to slither their way out of his skin. His teeth were broken and scattered around his horrifyingly grotesque smile.

Kurumu trembled as he wriggled his way toward her. The madslug released his paralyzing gas in heavy clouds now. She couldn't find the strength to move at all even as his slime began to drip up her body.

"_I've got to beat him…_" the succubus thought desperately. "_I've got to make it up to everyone…_"

"Get away!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"No chance!" Nagare cackled.

"Kurumu?! Kurumu are you in there?!"

The two of them turned at them turned at the sound of Moka's voice. They could hear her banging on the door and trying to pry it open as she shouted.

"Kurumu I'm so sorry!" the girl cried as she pounded on the door. "We found the blackmail letter. Please forgive me… I thought you still hated me but Danny told me about everything you said to him when I was with Inui. I was such a selfish idiot! I'm sorry, just please come back!"

Moka smiled as the doorknob turned. Her relief quickly turned to horror however as Nagare's horrific form appeared towering over her.

"Wha…" Moka gaped at the vile creature.

"You know that was really touching Moka," the madslug taunted releasing an enormous cloud of gas in her face. "I was thinking of making you my next girl but now I get both you and Kurumu at the same time!"

"_What's going on? I can't move!_" the vampire thought in terror as her knees gave out.

"Oh yeah," Nagare laughed as he ran his tendrils along Moka's legs. "We're gonna have fun."

"MOKA!!" Kurumu screamed.

Nagare froze as he felt the ground start shaking. He looked desperately back and forth as it cracked around him. The madslug's eyes fell on Kurumu who stood in the doorway as her black wings burst out of her back.

"Don't you dare…" the succubus growled, her eyes shining with a haunting purple light. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!!"

The earth was ripped apart as the roots of the Monster Tree broke free from the ground. Nagare cowered in disbelief as the tree advanced on him with glowing eyes and mouth, swinging its branches threateningly. He felt the roots wrap around his throat and arms and he tried to scream in agony.

"This is impossible…" he choked out as the powerful vines began to crush him. "What the hell are you?!"

"_**Interesting…**_"

"What's happening?" the bewildered Moka asked when her glowing seal.

"_**An illusion…**_"

"_Move… Dammit MOVE!_" Kurumu forced the strength back into her body. She leapt into the sky flapping her dark wings with all her might. She turned back down towards her tormentor... the coward who had dared to attack her friend. The succubus dove toward the madslug at tremendous speed, using the last of her strength to raise her claw…

Nagare's rubbery skin was sliced like paper by Kurumu razor-like nails sending blood flying. The succubus hit the ground hard from the speed of her assault, the last of her strength exhausted. She tumbled along the ground until she was caught in a comforting embrace. She opened her eyes weakly to see a glowing white haired figure.

"Danny…" she whispered happily.

"Sorry I'm late. But you were amazing…" the ghost boy smiled at the exhausted succubus.

"I-I didn't know I could do that…" she grinned back as the tree returned to normal.

"_**Few can…**_"

The two turned as Moka slowly made her way over to them. They listened intently while the glowing cross on her chest explained in the voice of the super vampire.

"_**It is said that the highest orders of succubae can cast powerful illusions. They are supposedly so strong that these illusions can even inflict mortal wounds on an enemy. What you accomplished was no small feat. You are more impressive than I gave you credit for girl…**_"

Kurumu blushed at the praise before she noticed something on the ground. "Thanks," she smiled pointing at the folder lying a few feet away. "But the important thing is we got the drafts back."

XXXXXXXXXX

By the time the group had returned to the classroom, the effects of the gas had worn off.

"Kurumu!" Yukari exclaimed as the bluenette entered the room.

"Uh hi Yukari…" the girl said confused as the little witch hugged her. "What's the occasion?"

"Don't get used to it," Yukari smiled. "I'm just sorry about being angry at you…"

"Don't worry Kurumu, I never doubted you," Gin said flashing a playboy smile. He was about to hug her as well when a water basin dropped on his head knocking him out.

"Consider yourself forgiven," Kurumu smiled at the younger girl.

"Alright everybody we've still got a deadline to meet. You guys go ahead and get started, I'll be right back." Danny cracked his knuckles as he made his way out the door. "_Hello… misplaced… aggression…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Nagare's entire body was wracked with pain. The deep cut on his chest hurt the most but he could also feel bruises where the tree had ensnared him. His head was swimming and he could hear someone talking but he ignored them. Whatever they had to say wasn't important. The madslug yelped in agony as his back was slammed hard against a very solid surface sending a new surge of pain through his already aching body.

"Wake up!" the voice yelled again.

Nagare opened his eyes with tremendous effort. He couldn't understand what was going on. Something was holding him in the air with his back against a wall. His vision was blurry and the face in front of him was unclear. But one thing was certain, there were two glowing green orbs shining right in front of him.

As his sight finally cleared the face became more distinct. It was vaguely familiar to Nagare only the hair was white and those glowing orbs that appeared to be the person's eyes were locked on him in an angry, intimidating glare.

Nagare gasped as he realized where he was. The person was holding him against the school building, but they were floating at least three stories up.

"Who are you?" the slug monster squeaked.

"Danny Fenton."

Now Nagare was really scared. He was completely at the mercy of the exchange student whose friends he'd tried to attack. His body was too weak from Kurumu's attack to fight back and even if he could there was nowhere to go but crashing to the ground. And this guy was supposed to be strong enough to have taken out some of the schools meanest monsters so there was no way he stood a chance.

"What do you want?" the madslug trembled under the halfa's punishing stare.

"I'm only gonna say this once you miserable sack of pus," Danny growled. "You're lucky Kurumu took you down before I got there. If I ever hear about you doing this to any girl ever again, especially one of mine…" the halfa's eyes now shone completely green, the light emanating from them cutting into Nagare's very being. "…I will stick you on a hook and use you for bait like the overgrown worm you are… We clear?"

The slug just nodded in terrified understanding.

"Good…" Danny spat and dropped Nagare onto the branches of the Monster Tree before floating away.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sorry I took so long guys," Danny smiled entering the classroom.

"That's okay," Moka said looking up from her work. "But where did you run off to?"

"I'll tell you some other time," the ghost boy said pleasantly, sitting down to help. "Right now we've got work to do."

* * *

Man this one gave me trouble. I had so many different ways I wanted to do it, but I settled with Kurumu kicking ass and Danny being badass. I gave you a little gift up at the top with the _13_ reference since a lot of you have asked me what's happening at Amity Park, plus it helped me explain why Danny was so quick to snap. Just so we're clear, things aren't happening in the Phantom universe in the same order as the show's storyline, that's all I'm gonna say for now. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, on to the reviews...

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**thepenultimatefailure:** First of all, **_thank you!_** I was still a little worried about the thing with Gin so all the feedback was a welcome sight. Second, all the girls are a 4 as you put it (except Yukari, Danny doesn't have a lolita complex, though he does care about her). As for your comment about him not paying attention to the other girls, this chapter should have helped fix any of those doubts. As always I see your point about how he was with the girls, but at the same time I can see him playing the player role, especially as his popularity builds. Plus, he started as a friend to both Sam and Valerie before they became his girlfriend, but if you recall in _Lucky in Love_ when Danny thought Paulina liked him he didn't seem nearly as flustered when he started dating her, he just fell into the role and adapted. Since these girls have basically been love interests since day one I think he would adapt just as quickly. Last but not least, how was the con?

**Ryu The Reaper:** I need you to be more descriptive of how I should be more descriptive. See I try to say what needs to be said with out dragging on or using a bunch of empty words so if there is something I need to improve on **specificly** then I will be happy to work on that just tell me where to look.

Glad you are all enjoying the story. Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend and God bless!


	8. Chapter 8

Welcome back. Next chapter is in so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

* * *

"You're gonna be a model?" Danny asked.

"That's right" Moka blushed. "Ms. Ishigami has been asking me for weeks. I finally gave in."

"Why would she want you for a model when she could ask someone like me?" Kurumu scoffed.

"Ms. Ishigami probably thought your boobs would get in the way," Yukari giggled earning herself a smack on the head from the succubus.

"So are you still gonna be able to come to the Newspaper Club meetings?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, but I may have to leave early once in a while," Moka replied. "I'm actually heading to my first session right now."

"Well, catch you later," the halfa waved.

"Um Danny" the vampire squeaked. "Before you go…"

"Yeah?"

"Can I suck your blood?" Moka giggled.

"No chance!" Kurumu yelled.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Alright everybody we've got work to do," Gin said at the club meeting the next day. "The missing girls incident…"

"What?" the others exclaimed.

"That's right," the president continued. "Apparently nine girls have gone missing in just over a month. Now at this school, it's not weird for people to go missing, but the numbers and consistency are a little disturbing," Gin pulled out some papers with several girls pictures on them and handed them out. "I've collected some basic information on the missing girls and now we're gonna find out what's going on."

"I'm impressed Gin," Danny said looking over his info sheet. "I've never seen you acting this serious."

"Well if these girls have been kidnapped, then I want to save them," Gin said hugging Danny by the shoulder and smiling his trademark grin at the girls. "Besides look at them," he whispered to Danny, "They're all total babes."

"_I should have known…_" Danny thought. But after looking at the pictures, he had to admit Gin was right, the girls were all pretty hot.

"So where do we start?" Moka asked.

"Well, Danny is gonna start by looking into their backgrounds in the office," Gin said with a shady grin. "While the rest of us…"

"NO!" the girls all shouted in unison.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You didn't have to come with me Danny," Moka blushed as the two of them made their way to the art building.

"No big deal," Danny smiled back at her. "Apparently some of the girls that went missing were in the art class so I can interview a few people about them. Besides, I've never met the art teacher and I'd like to meet the lady that you'll be modeling for."

"I'm kind of worried I won't make a good model," Moka muttered, her blush deepening.

"Are you mental?" Danny laughed. "You look like you were born to be a model. In fact, you should be charging her for this."

"Thanks," the girl squeaked in embaressment, now completely crimson as Danny opened the door for her.

"Moka, you're early," Ms. Ishigami exclaimed when the girl walked into the room. The art teacher was an attractive woman with blond hair that she wore in several small braids under a red bandana. She was wearing an orange crop top with a yellow trench coat that had several paint stains and black pants. She smiled at the girl and her companion, "And who is this?"

"Hi Ms. Ishigami," Moka smiled back. "This is Danny. He's in the Newspaper Club with me."

"Hi," Danny waved when suddenly the teacher grabbed hold of his face and stared curiously at him. "Can I help you?" he asked through smushed lips.

"Shhh," one of the students in the room shushed. "She's inspecting you."

The teacher looked him up and down. She poked him and shifted him into various poses, adjusting his hair and his clothing a few times. Danny yelped when she poked him in the butt.

"A little on the scrawny side…" Ms. Ishigami said.

"Hey!" Danny barked.

"But not too shabby. An excellent profile," she concluded. "How would you like to be one of my models?"

All the girls in the class burst into applause. It was as if they had all been waiting for her to approve of him. Which, he decided, was probably the case.

"Maybe some other time…" Danny blushed in embarrassment. "I just came to drop off Moka. Later," he said with a wave and was out the door. After he'd walked away he realized he had forgotten to ask about the missing girls. "Oh well," Danny sighed. "I'll worry about it later."

XXXXXXXXXX

It had been nearly a week and the Newspaper Club had had no breaks on the missing girls story. They had interviewed friends and teachers. But nothing had seemed important enough to focus on.

Danny had just finished following another dead end when he decided to swing by the art department. Moka had said that she wouldn't make the meeting that day because of her modeling so he thought he'd fill her in before he met up with the others.

"Figures," Danny muttered as he entered the empty classroom.

He was about to split when he heard a strange gasping sound. He looked around and the noise was coming from a locker. As Danny stepped closer, the noise began to sound like crying. He slowly opened the door and found a statue. A _crying_ statue.

The statue was of a nude teenage girl that was very beautiful. Danny was no art critic, but the statue was flawless. It was pure white stone. The girl had long hair that ended just past her shoulders with a single thin braid on her left side. She was sitting on her knees with her arms folded in front of her chest, as if in prayer. The girl was looking up toward him and sobbing with tears streaming down her face.

"_What the hell…?_" Danny thought in wonder. It was like the girl was staring right at him, pleading with him to save her. He reached out his hand and brushed his thumb across the statues tear covered cheek. "_They're real…_"

"Hey," growled a voice behind Danny. "What do you think you're doing to my art?"

Danny felt a chill as his ghost sense went off. He turned around to see Ms. Ishigami glaring fiercely at him. Her aura was starting to rise and the braids of her hair were beginning to wave as if they were being blown by a gust of wind.

As quickly as it appeared, the aura vanished. Ms. Ishigami suddenly smiled pleasantly, all traces of her rage disappearing.

"Oh aren't you Moka's friend Danny?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh yeah," Danny replied cautiously.

"You must be here to pick up Moka," the teacher smiled closing the locker. "Well she's far too busy right now."

As if on cue, Moka stepped into the room. "Danny," the vampire said, a surprised blush crossing her features. "What are you doing here?"

"Well you see…" Danny started before she cut him off.

"No!" Moka yelled pushing the halfa toward the door. "I'll be too embarrassed if you're here."

"Moka chill," Danny argued while she moved him to the door. "I was just gonna tell you what was happening with the missing girls story…"

"_What?_" Ms. Ishigami's eye twitched.

"You can explain it to me later now get out!" Moka shouted shoving the boy outside and slamming the door.

"Fine jeez…" Danny sighed to the closed door. "Man I officially give up trying to understand anything at this school."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Man I wonder why Moka was so embarrassed of me being there," Danny muttered to himself as he walked down the hall. "And what was with that crying statue? That some kind of spell or something?" A thought suddenly crossed Danny's mind. What if Moka was going to be a model for a statue like that? A _nude _model. His nose started bleeding. "_Dammit!_"

"Danny!" Kurumu cheered as he stepped into the classroom. She jumped at him crushing his face against her boobs making his nose bleed all the more.

"You're late," Gin said with an annoyed look on his face. "Another girl was declared missing."

Everyone gasped as he held up the picture of the latest disappearance. Danny walked up and took the picture from Gin. The girl was very pretty just like the others. She had long black hair that ended just past her shoulders. She also had a single thin braid on the left side of her face.

"Moka…" Danny whispered as realization struck him.

"What?" Gin asked confused, but before he could get an answer Danny had run back out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What's going on Ms. Ishigami?" Moka gasped with her back to the wall.

All the braids in the teacher's hair were flailing around and hissing like dozens of snakes. She smiled warmly at Moka. "Well it seems I might be drawing a little too much attention to myself," Ms. Ishigami said, her eyes narrowing and her smile becoming dark and predatory. "But I'm not going to end this until you're part of my collection."

Without warning, one of the teacher's braids struck at Moka like a bullwhip. The girl gasped in horror as the hair suddenly sprouted fangs that sank into her wrist. Several more of the braids lashed out, opening a door behind Moka and forcing her through.

Moka cried out in pain as she crashed to the floor. As she started to pick herself up, she could hear several sobs coming from all around her. She looked around and saw several pure white statues of girls in varying poses. But the frightening thing was that all of the statues were crying.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Ishigami grinned. "Such an artistic sight…"

Moka stared at the teacher as she walked into the room. Her bandana had come off, and her hair was slithering and coiling atop her head. All of them had small mouths with rows of sharp little teeth and forked tongues. Her skin had turned a light green and marks appeared under her grey eyes like cracks or scales. The snake like tendrils sprang toward Moka and tightly wrapped around the girls arms, legs, and waist. Moka felt her hand go numb and when she looked down at it, the hand had turned as white as the statues around her.

"What's going on?" she asked in horror.

"Don't you know?" the teacher laughed. "It's a gorgon's power to turn any living thing into stone. And soon, you'll be joining the other statues in my collection."

"Wait, so you were the one that kidnapped the girls in school?" Moka panted.

"I prefer the term collected," Ishigami said. The woman walked toward one of the petrified girls with a captivated smile and cupped her face in her hands. "Look at them. So beautiful. They can't move, they can't die, and yet they're filled with sorrow and despair. All they can do is weep. This is true art…"

"You're insane!" Moka shouted before one of the snakes snapped its tiny jaws in front of her face. Moka trembled while the woman's hair slithered over her body. Their tiny maws drooled over her as they searched for the best place to sink their needle-like fangs.

Ishigami merely chuckled. "I think it's time I put the finishing touches on you," she smiled.

"Moka?" shouted a voice from the other room.

"DA-" Moka started to call for the halfa before a tendril wrapped around her mouth.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Ishigami growled quietly. Suddenly, she got a cheerful spark in her eye. "Wait… This is perfect," the teacher smiled. "Danny" she called sweetly, "Moka's back here."

Danny walked toward the back room. As much as he would have loved to charge in with ghost rays blazing, he didn't have proof that Ms. Ishigami was the one who had kidnapped the girls. He could have gone in invisible, but if Moka really was a nude model… Well, Danny was still a good guy.

As Danny opened the door, he was attacked by several tiny mouths that sank their teeth into him. He cried out in pain as they bit into his arms, legs, and even his face.

"What the hell's going on?" Danny shouted as Ishigami's hair wrapped around him. He could feel something under his skin moving around like insects.

"I'm adding you to my collection," the gorgon laughed as she pulled Danny and Moka against each other. "Just like all the beautiful girls from the school."

"So it _was_ you," Danny coughed blue mist as his body began to petrify.

"That's right," Ishigami cackled. She began positioning the two of them with her tendrils. She placed one of Danny's hands on Moka's cheek and the other on her hip. Moka's hands were placed on Danny's chest and the two of them were so close they were practically kissing. "This will be my greatest masterpiece yet," the teacher hummed mesmerized. "Two lovers wrapped forever in each other's arms, crying for all eternity. How truly artistic…"

"Danny, you've got to do something!" Moka cried as he began to turn to stone in front of her. She screamed as the snakes bit into one of her legs.

"I've been trying," he growled, his eyes flashing green and blue. Whatever Ishigami had done to him was interfering with his transformation. Moka however wasn't turning to stone as fast as he was. He smiled gently at the girl as he forced his stone hand to move to her chest. "Kick her ass for me…"

Ishigami shrieked. An enormous aura had just exploded from the two teens, filling the room with a dark light. The energy tore away at her snakes and ripped them apart.

"NOOOOOO!!" Ishigami roared as her snakes were torn away by the fearsome power. "What did you do?!"

When the teacher looked at where the students had been, they were different then they had been moments before. Moka had become a completely different person. Long silver hair flowed down the girl's back and her blood-red eyes glared savagely at the shrieking teacher. Next to her stood a white statue of Danny. It saluted the teacher with a silver cross and a smile.

"You bitch! YOU BITCH!" Ishigami screeched as her bloody hair flailed around wildly. "You don't even understand art do you, you little whore?!"

Inner Moka ignored the woman's insane ramblings. With her good leg she leapt at the gorgon. Flipping through the air she brought her stone leg down on the woman's head with devastating force, splitting into the teachers already blood stained skull. Ishigami crumpled to the floor with one final crazed smile on her face.

Moka clutched her stone arm and dragged her heavy leg across the floor to Danny. Even frozen forever in stone he still had that same goofy grin of his.

"Thank you Danny," Moka whispered lifting her good hand to touch the smooth stone of his cheek. "_Two lovers wrapped forever in each other's arms…_"

Moka gasped as the white eyes of Danny's statue suddenly glowed green. A white ring appeared at the stone figures waist and she jumped back. The vampire watched as the white ring split into two and moved in opposite directions to reveal… no change.

"Danny…?" Moka asked as she stepped closer to the statue.

"Yeeees?" the statue replied before Danny stepped out of it.

Moka smiled in relief as the ghost boy phased through the stone. He twisted his body around a few times and stretched making several bones utter a loud pop.

"Talk about getting the starch out of your joints," he chuckled as his neck cracked.

"You seem to be just fine," Moka growled, although she failed to hide the solace in her voice.

"Yeah," Danny sighed looking at his hand and remembering the disgusting feel of the woman's poison running its way through his veins. "I just couldn't get control of my powers when that stuff was in me. I guess I finally managed to figure out how to counter it."

"Then would you mind?" Moka asked raising her stone hand. Danny walked over and put his hands on her shoulders and turned them both intangible. After a moment, the stone on her arm and leg fell away and shattered on the floor. "Thank you. Now what about them?" she asked motioning to the stone girls.

"Easy enough to fix," Danny smiled a blush burning his cheeks. "Could you see if you can find some blankets or something?"

"Why?"

"Cause if a bunch of naked girls wake up in my arms, I'm probably gonna be in trouble…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why didn't you say Moka was in trouble?" Gin whined while Danny and the others worked on a special edition of the newspaper. "I could have saved her!"

"Danny has a hero complex," Yukari giggled. "Besides it's so much more romantic that her true love saves her instead of some pervy creep."

"Yukari!" Moka and Gin both yelled turning red, one in embarrassment and one in anger.

"Damn it why couldn't it have been me!" Kurumu cried as she pictured Danny and Moka holding each other close as they turned to stone, embracing each other forever. Not a bad way to go in her opinion.

"Tell you what Kurumu," Danny chuckled. "When the new art teacher shows up and starts turning pretty girls into stone statues, I'll recommend you just so I can save you."

"At least Ms. Ishigami can't hurt anyone here anymore," Moka smiled as she got back to work on the paper.

"Yeah and all those girls are back," Gin said with a wicked grin. "I'll just have to tell them who the real hero in this club is…"

"You mean Danny?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah… Wait no!" Gin shouted making everyone burst into laughter.

* * *

Well that's another one down. Next chapter has something I know you've been waiting for… Mizore! That's right, the snow woman stalker will be making her grand entrance next time so everyone may now squeal with glee and begin pacing in front of their computers in anticipation. But first, reviews!

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

Wait, actually I don't really see anything to respond to. No questions, no comments that require feedback, nothing that requires my immediate attention, just… praise! You love me, you really love me! (gun pointed in face) Well then I guess I'll be seeing you all next week. Bye!


	9. Chapter 9

Well here's the chapter you've been waiting for that introduces our lovely lady of the north. Or south. Or wherever the heck Mizore's from all I know is that it's cold. We've all been looking forward to it so I won't keep you in suspense. Here we go.

* * *

"Oh my gosh it's Danny!"

"The American exchange student?"

"Wow he really is cute!"

"And so cool…"

"_Well this is a switch,_" Danny thought as the Newspaper Club handed out their latest editions. Danny had quickly gone up in popularity when the girls Ishigami had kidnapped had spread the word that he had freed them from their life of stone. "_Man now I __**know **__Tuck would be jealous._"

"Why do you think they didn't mention him in the story about Ms. Ishigami?"

"That was probably just Danny being humble."

"That's so cool!"

"Are you sure he saved them? He doesn't look the type."

"Yeah my friend Ayame was one of the girls he saved."

"I can't stand it!" Gin cried. "Why the heck does Danny get all the girls?"

"For once I'm with the perv," Kurumu shouted slamming her hands down on the table. "I don't like all these girls making googly eyes at _my_ Danny."

"Now you know how I feel when all the guys are hitting on you and Moka," Danny blushed.

"That isn't what I meant," Gin growled. "Forget it. I'm gonna go find a babe that hasn't been corrupted." With that he vanished in a blur.

"How does he do that?" Moka asked.

"Probably from years of running from angry girls," Yukari giggled.

"Man we should start charging for these," Danny said lifting a newly emptied box. "Because we are officially out."

"Already? Are we awesome or what?" Kurumu cheered jumping in the air.

"I've got an idea," Moka beamed. "Why don't we have a party to celebrate the Newspaper Club's success?"

"That sounds pretty good," Danny smiled. "We can have it after school."

"And we can bring some sake!" Yukari sang earning her questioning looks from the others.

"Should we invite Gin?" Moka asked.

"Why should we?" Kurumu scoffed. "It's not like he ever does any work. Besides we don't want to interfere with his 'flirting.'"

"He's the enemy of all women," Yukari agreed.

"You guys are weird."

Everyone turned at the comment. Standing there was a strangely dressed girl. She was wearing the skirt from the school's uniform with a large baggy sweater that wrapped around her shoulders showing her black bra straps. On her legs was a pair of purple striped stockings that ran all the way up to her thigh as well as a belt she wore around her left leg. Her long purple hair was completely disheveled like she had just got out of bed. Her eyes were a strange yet beautiful mix of purple and blue. And to complete the bizarre ensemble, she was sucking on a lollipop.

"You get along too well," the girl said. "I don't understand that kind of stuff."

"Uh, there's not much to understand…" Danny replied hesitantly.

"Newspaper," the girl said holding out her hand expectantly. When nobody moved she asked, "Are there any left?"

"Sure…" Danny replied pulling out his paper. "You can have mine. Not like I don't know what's in there."

The girl took the paper but moved her face in an inch from Danny's. The ghost boy blinked in confusion as she studied him. "_For someone who dresses so weird she sure is pretty…_" Danny couldn't help but think.

"So you're Danny…" the girl said before a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "You're cuter than I thought you'd be…"

With that the girl turned and walked away leaving a very confused Newspaper Club.

"Okay," Danny finally said. "I'd say that counts as freaky moment of the day."

"Friend of yours?" Moka asked sweetly, although a vein could clearly be seen throbbing in her head.

"What?! No never met her!" Danny jumped on the defensive before Moka actually got mad. She was scary when she was mad…

"Probably just another one of Danny's new _Fan Club,_" Kurumu growled. "As if she has a chance…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good morning everyone," Ms. Nekonome smiled as cheerfully as always when she entered the classroom. "Before we start class today, it's time to pick our class president."

"Ms. Nekonome, shouldn't we have done that at the beginning of the year?" one of the boys asked.

"Well you see… I kind of forgot," the cat woman chuckled nervously, making every student faceplant.

"_That's Ms. Nekonome for ya…_" Danny chuckled at the teacher's ditzyness.

"So does anyone have a nomination?"

"Hey teach," a girl said raising her hand. "I think Danny would make a good class president."

Danny hit the ground again. "_What?_" Danny turned around and saw the girl who had been acting strange that morning. "_Wait that girl was in our class? Why the hell haven't I seen her before?_"

"Do I hear any seconds?" Ms. Nekonome asked. Everyone in the room burst into applause.

"_Oh come on…!_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"That's so cool Danny," Yukari laughed grabbing onto Danny's arm. "I bet you'll make a much better class president than mine was."

"I don't know Yukari," Danny said with a tired smile making his eyes flash green. "If you bug me I might try to eat you too…"

"Eep!" Yukari squeaked hiding behind Moka. Moka and Kurumu burst into laughter.

"Well let's start getting things for the party," the vampire smiled.

"Yeah, we'll all meet up at five o'clock," Kurumu agreed before walking over to Danny and squashing her breasts against him. "I've got some sweets I want you to try…" she cooed.

"Back off Kurumu!" Moka and Yukari yelled and dragged the succubus away.

Danny chuckled as he watched them walk away. All of a sudden he felt a chill up the back of his spine as if he was being watched. He looked around and saw a girl's hand and skirt around the corner of a pillar.

"Who's there?"

The girl from that morning stepped out from behind the column. "Hi."

"Hey," Danny waved. "I didn't know you were in my class. You just get transferred or something?"

"No. I couldn't come for most of the semester," she smiled shyly pulling out a newspaper. "Your articles are really good, just like always."

"Always?" Danny raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't here?"

"Ms. Nekonome sent me copies while I was away," she said. "My name is Mizore Shirayuki. You're my favorite writer. I've collected all your stories," Mizore smiled handing him a notebook.

"Really?" Danny asked opening the notebook. He didn't know what to say as he flipped through the pages. It was true that she had all of the articles he'd written, but she had scribbled several notes and doodles all over the book. The only parts that were still clear were the covers.

"What do you think?" Mizore asked still blushing.

"Wow. You must have had a lot on your mind to write all of this," Danny chuckled.

"You're a loner, aren't you?" The question caught him off guard. "I know how it feels…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yay!" Mizore cheered as she and Danny sat out by the lake later that day. "Danny did you see that? I skipped that rock nine times!"

"That was pretty cool Mizore," Danny applauded before looking at his watch. "Listen my club is meeting up right now so I gotta split."

"No, it's your turn now," Mizore pouted playfully and hugged him. "After all you're a noob that can only skip it three times."

"Is that so?" Danny smirked. He picked up a rock and walked over to the water. He made sure that Mizore couldn't see as he encased the small stone in green energy and let it fly.

Mizore's lollipop nearly fell out of her gaping mouth as the rock skipped all the way to the other shore. "Danny that was great!" she cheered.

"So now who's the noob?" the halfa taunted. "_That trick might be useless in a fight but it's great at parties._"

"My turn!" Mizore said picking up a rock.

"Look Mizore, if you want to hang out later, that's cool, but right now I've really got to go," Danny said as he walked past her.

"Do you want to be with that Moka girl that badly?" Mizore growled. Danny got a sudden massive chill as mist flowed from his lips. "Please don't go…"

"Mizore…?" Danny shivered as a white haze surrounded him.

"You should be mine…" the girl's voice whispered through the fog. "Only mine…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Where is everybody?_" Moka thought as she sat in the classroom alone, her only company a few bags of chips and bottles of soda. It was already five fifteen and no one had shown up for the party yet. "_Maybe this_ _party was a bad idea…_"

She heard the door open and jumped happily expecting to see Danny. The one standing in the door however was the purple haired girl who had nominated him for class president.

"Sorry, but no matter how long you wait, Danny won't be coming," the girl said.

"What are you talking about?" Moka gasped.

The girl walked over to her, leaving wet footprints on the floor. Moka shivered as the girl approached, her lifeless eyes frightening the pink haired vampire. Without warning she reached out and grabbed Moka by the throat.

"What are you doing?!" Moka choked out as they dropped to the ground. The strange girl straddled Moka as she continued strangling her.

"You're an eyesore," the girl said as if what she was doing was perfectly normal. "Even when I'm around you're all he thinks about. So once you're gone, Danny will be all mine."

"_Her hands are like ice,_" Moka gasped as the girl's frozen hands threatened to crush her windpipe. She struggled to pry off the cold grip but the girl's fingers tightened menacingly. "STOP!" she screamed, backhanding the girl with everything she could muster. A shattering sound filled the room. When Moka looked at the girl a large chunk of her head was missing and her face had taken on a glass-like appearance.

The girl stared at her with one broken eye and another that looked completely dead. "Sorry, but I'm just an ice doll. The real me is with Danny," the girl said as though nothing had happened. She raised her hand which lengthened into a long crystal blade. "Please forgive me, but Danny belongs with me, so I need you to disappear…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny grunted as he slid across the frozen lake. "What the hell is going on?" he growled, climbing to his feet.

"Don't be scared Danny," Mizore smiled. Her hair was like a glacier and five long frozen nails reached out from under her sweater. As she walked across the frozen pond, shards of ice sprouted up with every step she took. "I'm a yuki-onna, a snow woman. Please, don't leave me…"

Ice burst up around Danny as she pleaded with him. It quickly engulfed his body all the way up to his chest.

"I take it the matter isn't open to discussion…" Danny smiled at the frost covered girl nervously.

"That's what I like about you Danny," Mizore smiled as she came closer to him. "You seem so alone and yet you can still find a way to give off a warm feeling. Don't you see it was destiny for us to meet?" she raised a cold claw and stroked his cheek softly. She blushed lightly as she looked him in the eyes. "We're both loners who can understand each other and warm the other's cold heart. So please Danny, will you please be mine?"

"Mizore…" Danny whispered. Even through the cold he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and see the hurt in her eyes. "Don't you get it? Being a loner doesn't mean you have to be alone. I was always secluded back home but I still had friends. It's the same here. All of my friends are important to me and help to give me the strength to find that warmth. Like how Moka-"

"Stop," Mizore snapped. "I don't want to hear anything else about Moka. You don't have to worry about her anymore."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked in surprise.

"She's gone now," Mizore smiled. "I took care of her…"

"You did _what?!_" Danny yelled, his eyes turning bright green.

Mizore gasped. "I did it for us Danny…" she said nervously stepping back at the fierce light in his gaze. A white ring abruptly appeared around his waist. It split in two that moved across his body, tearing apart the ice that encased him and changing him into a black form with white hair.

"I don't appreciate it when people go after my friends Mizore," Danny growled in a way that frightened the snow woman even more. "You had better pray they're alright…"

With that, he rocketed into the sky, shattering the ice where he had stood.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why the hell are you so heavy?" Kurumu yelled at Moka as they flew over the school grounds.

"Kurumu you can complain later, but Danny could be in trouble," Moka cried back, hoping the succubus didn't decide to drop her.

"I know…" Kurumu sighed, hoping the ghost boy was alright.

All of a sudden, a black and white blur shot by the two girls. It moved so fast that the wake threatened to knock them out of the air.

"DANNY!" they shouted in unison.

Danny tumbled as he tried to slam on the brakes. As soon as he had corrected himself, he rushed back to them.

"Moka…" Danny sighed in relief as he hugged her tight. "I thought Mizore had done something to you."

Moka blushed at the boy's display of concern. "She tried…" the girl stuttered.

"But I took care of that," Kurumu jumped in, hoping to gain some attention. "Turned that ice doll into ice cubes."

"Way to go Kurumu," Danny smiled, taking the succubus in his other arm and embracing her too. The bluenette blushed and cuddled up as close as she could to the ghost boy. "Is Yukari okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Moka replied still blushing. "We left her back at the classroom."

"Good," Danny sighed. "You guys head back there, I'll join you in a little bit."

Before the girl's could ask where he was going, Danny had raced back toward the lake. When he arrived, the water was still frozen, but Mizore was gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Late that night, two boys were walking home to their dorms. One had messy black hair, his name was Deddo. The other had black hair as well, but it was kept very straight. His name was Niku.

"Man we're sure getting back late," Deddo sighed as they walked.

"Quit complaing," Niku scolded him. "You know how Coach gets."

"Hey, you hear something?" Deddo asked.

"What?" Niku replied before he heard it too. "It sounds like someone's crying. Come on."

The two boys walked into the woods. They hadn't gone far when they noticed a girl hunched over on the ground. She was looking at a notebook and sobbing.

"Hey, are you alright?" Niku asked, careful not to spook the girl. She turned around to face them and moved her purple hair out of her face.

"Dude, she's pretty cute," Deddo whispered to the other boy with a goofy grin.

"Shut up," Niku shot back before turning back to the girl. "Listen are you alright? If it's okay, we can help you…"

"…nnoying…" the girl whispered as she got up.

"Huh?" the boys asked.

"Shut up," she spat, reaching her hand toward them. Suddenly, her sleeve erupted with dozens of twisted icicles that extended toward the boys like some kind of sick, frozen claw. The boys went wide eyed as the horrifying glacier closed in on them, surrounding them in a white prison…

* * *

Well Mizore has arrived and I put in my first real cliffhanger. Looks like Danny has become pretty popular on campus. I loved the idea of having him as the coolest guy in Youkai Academy and the biggest loser at Casper High. Anyway you've probably got a couple of questions so let me see if I can help. First of all, Ayame. Yes she will play into the later story but for now she is just a name and will pop in from time to time. Still working on some ideas with her. Also if you are wondering about Danny skipping the rock, that was telekinesis. He had it in _Boxed Up Fury_ and I wanted to throw it in. As he said it is useless in a fight since he has to concentrate completely on the object but it will be put to good use as the story goes on. I think that's it, if I'm forgetting something, you know where to ask.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**thepenultimatefailure:** I do care about shipping and I want to work some romance into the story but I don't want to focus too much on one girl yet. I don't know which girl I want Danny to end up with or even whether he'll choose a girl or not. But this is gonna be a long story so I'll have plenty of time to choose. And since I plan on adding some romance chapters, everyone will get a chance to throw in their two cents. I had a feeling you'd like Danny/Mizore. You just struck me as that type. If you like them then don't be afraid to throw me some ideas that I can use for their romance chapters. As for the school festival, don't get ahead of yourself. We got a long way to go.

**imagination writer:** Yes Danny will get his ice powers. I can't tell you when so just stay with me.

**Rubius: **(see **imagination writer**'s but replace "ice powers" with "ghostly wail")

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom:** Happy Birthday

Well that's it for this week. Hope you liked the chapter. Between school, work, finals, and fighting a cold I haven't had to much time to focus on this so it felt a little rushed to me. But don't worry, the next one will be _awesome!_ Later!


	10. Chapter 10

When we last left our heroes a distraught Mizore had just attacked a group of young men on their way back from practice. What could be the consequences of these actions? Let's find out…

* * *

"You want me to go talk to Mizore?" Danny asked. Ms. Nekonome had asked him to come to the teacher's lounge for something important. This wasn't what he'd expected.

"That's right," the teacher smiled at him. "She's already missed most of the semester. And now she's missing class even though she's back. If this keeps up she'll be in serious trouble. So I want you to drag her back."

"Well I don't really mind," Danny said hesitantly. "But why are you sending me?"

"Well you are class president."

"Since when?!" Danny shouted in confusion. "We haven't even voted yet…!"

"So here's her room number," the teacher giggled. "If she isn't there you might try the cliff nearby."

"You mean the one that looks like it's from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'?" Danny asked.

"The what?"

"Ms. Nekonome, I need to talk to you about Shirayuki."

"Oh Kotsubo," Ms. Nekonome greeted the gym teacher. "Have you seen her?"

Okuto Kotsubo was a tall, lean man with dark red hair. Each of his ears had four piercings. He was wearing a white t-shirt that had studs up the sleeves that covered some kind of coil shaped tattoo that seemed to reach from his arms up to his neck.

"You haven't heard?" Kotsubo sighed angrily. "Last night Shirayuki ran into two of my soccer players, and nearly killed them."

"What?!" Ms. Nekonome gasped. Danny's face mirrored hers.

"You heard me," Kotsubo growled. "She froze the boys and nearly beat them to death. They probably would have died if I hadn't shown up. With all the trouble she's caused this year, I think it's time that we expelled her."

"Now hang on a second," Danny said.

"Danny, wait," Ms. Nekonome said. "I'll talk to Kotsubo, I still want you to talk to Shirayuki," she whispered before walking away with the gym teacher.

"Danny you're such a naughty boy…" a seductive voice purred in Danny's ear.

"Oh… H-h-hi Ms. Ririko," Danny blushed.

Okay, if Ms. Nekonome was hot, Ms. Ririko was a _knockout_. She was the math teacher, as well as Kurumu's homeroom teacher. Her breasts were big enough that even the succubus was developing an inferiority complex. She had beautiful brown hair that reached her shoulders and she always wore a revealing white blouse and black miniskirt that was even shorter than the girls school uniforms. It drove all the boys in school nuts.

"You shouldn't argue with your teachers. It's very naughty," she said, playfully slapping his cheek. "Although I can't completely blame you," she sighed. "Kotsubo is hardly an ideal teacher. He's always making moves on the girls. I heard one was suspended from school because of him. You shouldn't make him an enemy."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wait, don't you think it's a good thing that she's about to get expelled?" Kurumu asked. "I mean she was stalking you and she tried to kill Moka."

"If I remember correctly, she wasn't quite the only one who's tried," Danny shot back getting a blush from the succubus.

"But what about what she did to those boys?" Yukari asked.

"Look, I'm not defending her, but I'm not condemning her either," Danny replied. "It's just that something about this whole deal stinks. Mizore just seems really lonely, something everyone here can relate to. I just don't think she'd actually hurt anyone like that."

"Well it doesn't really matter what you think," someone said. "She still did it."

"Coach Kotsubo," Moka gasped in alarm as the gym teacher marched up.

"If you want proof, here it is," Kotsubo tossed a notebook at the boy's feet. The same notebook Mizore had made with all of Danny's newspaper articles.

"Where did you get that?" Danny asked.

"At the scene of the crime," Kotsubo replied as he flipped through the pages. "It looks like she's been bugging you Danny. You're not the first. At the beginning of the year she fell in love with a teacher. When the teacher didn't feel the same, she froze him and got herself suspended. Still think she wouldn't hurt anyone?"

"'_He's always making moves on the girls. I heard one was suspended from school because of him'_," Ms. Ririko's words echoed through Danny's mind. "You know, I kinda do…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Room number 106. This is it,_" Danny thought as he stood alone outside Mizore's dorm room. "_Well, here goes nothing."_ He knocked on the door.

At first there was no response, but just as Danny was about to leave, there was a quiet "Who is it?"

"It's Danny. Can we talk?"

The door was cut like butter as five ice blades ripped through the wood. Danny jumped backwards hard, barely missing Mizore's ice claw as it tore the door off its hinges. Luckily he was on the first floor around the outside of the building so he was able to put plenty of room between him and the doorway as it exploded outward.

Danny stood in a defensive stance in case Mizore tried anything else but he didn't bother to activate any of his powers and give her a sense that he wanted to fight. The snow woman marched through the cloud of dirt her right hand covered by her icy blades and a lollipop in her mouth.

"So was that a 'no', a reluctant 'yes', or a 'shut the hell up right now you stupid son of a bitch before I friggin kill you'?"

Mizore glared at him but the tension in her eyes seemed to lessen a little. "It's a 'talk fast before I turn you into a popsicle'."

Danny followed suite and dropped his stance. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings the way I took off, but you gotta see things from my point of view. My friends were in trouble and you were the one who had threatened them. I don't think I was in the wrong the way I reacted."

Danny stopped to gauge Mizore's reaction. The girl's expression was unchanged but she was still listening.

"I heard about what happened last night," he continued. "Is it true that you jumped two guys?"

"Yes," Mizore replied in monotone.

"That's not a good thing Mizore," Danny sighed at how sedate she was about it. "Those guys are in the hospital. The teachers are talking about expelling you."

"Wait," Mizore snapped, tensing up again. "What are you talking about 'in the hospital'? Sure I froze those guys, but that's just because I was pissed. I defrosted them before they should have been hurt…"

"_I knew something was off about all this,_" Danny gritted his teeth. "_If Mizore didn't hurt them…_"

Danny's thoughts were interrupted by Mizore giggling. "Is that what you think of me Danny? That I would just hurt anyone on a whim?" she smiled with tears in her eyes. "You were the only one… I thought that maybe you could understand me…"

"What? No Mizore wait…!" Danny panicked as a white mist enveloped the girl and she disappeared. "Dammit Mizore get back here! I wasn't done yet!"

But the fog had already vanished, and with it, Mizore.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mizore was standing on top of what she called Spiral Hill. It was a strange place where the cliff stretched out over the red water and curled back like some kind of bizarre hook. It was her favorite place at the academy. The wind was always so strong and comforting and the uniqueness of the place reminded her of herself.

"_I should have known better,_" the young girl thought as she looked sadly out over the crimson ocean. "_There's no way he could ever understand me…_"

"Surprise surprise," a voice chuckled behind her. "You always come here when you're upset, don't you Shirayuki?"

"Coach Kotsubo!" Mizore gasped as the man grabbed her roughly by the shoulders.

"Be careful," Kotsubo continued to laugh as he moved the girl closer to the edge. "The wind is pretty strong up here. It wouldn't be that surprising if some strange girl who spends her time here just so happened to fall off the cliff."

"Wait, what are you…?!" Mizore panted as the teacher moved her closer and closer to the side. She panicked at the sadistic grin on his face. "Let me go!" she screamed. "LET ME GO!!"

She managed to break free of his grip and pull away from the ledge. When he grabbed her arm again, she pushed him away… right off the cliff.

"Sensei!" Mizore shrieked as he tumbled down the cliff. Her eyes grew as big as saucers as something slithered up over the side and wrapped around her leg.

"Jeez Shirayuki, I was only playing with you and here you try and kill me," she heard Kotsubo's voice as the strange appendage pulled her back to toward the edge. She could see a large black mass moving up the side of the cliff. She trembled as several flailing arms slammed against the rock as the dark shape pulled closer to her. "That wasn't very nice."

Mizore screamed when she saw his true form. Kotsubo looked like he had an enormous black octopus extending from the back of his head. Its many waving tentacles allowed him to crawl up the hillside while the dark red suction cups gripped the rock. The octopus stared at her with a huge pair of golden eyes that were completely devoid of emotion, a frightening contrast to the wild glint in Kotsubo's face.

She screamed even louder as the tentacle that held her dragged her over the cliff. She flailed wildly, managing to grab a small bush before she was thrown down. She flinched in pain as the thorns of the plant stabbed at her hand and the crushing grip of his arm pulled at her leg.

"You're such a dangerous girl Shirayuki," Kotsubo smirked as his appendage slithered its way up her thigh. "First you try and freeze me and now you throw me over a cliff. A vicious girl like you belongs at the bottom of the sea…"

"But… but you were molesting me…!" Mizore cried, tears of pain and terror streaming down her face at the memory of what the teacher had done to her earlier that year.

"You said you liked me right?" the kraken taunted. "In fact you said you loved me… So you shouldn't complain about what I do to you." Kotsubo's sickening tentacle slithered its way higher, pulling playfully at her panties while it continued to coil tighter around the girl's leg. "All I was doing was screwing around a bit and here you went and took me seriously," he licked his lips as he toyed with the helpless girl. "I hate shit like that. And when you came back I knew I had to get rid of you before you go spreading 'rumors' about me. But then that stupid Danny kid goes and sticks up for you and now the whole damn Newspaper Club is trying to keep you around…"

"What?!" Mizore stared at him in disbelief, her pain and fear eclipsed for that one agonizing moment by shame. "_After everything I did… they still tried to help me? Danny wasn't accusing me, he was warning me!_"

"So now I'm forced to go with Plan B," Kotsubo sighed in fake regret as he pulled her down harder. He quickly ducked his head when a storm of icicles rained down on him. "What the hell?!"

When Kotsubo looked up at Mizore, the fear in her eyes was gone, replaced with stern resolve. Even with her hand a bloody mess, she gripped the bush tighter to hold herself up. Her left hand was now covered by her icy claw as she fired down on her tormenter.

"_I'm sorry…_" Mizore thought, her mind on Danny and the others who had tried to help her. "_I brought you nothing_ _but trouble and you still fought for me. The least I can do is fight back._"

"You fucking bitch!" Kotsubo shouted furiously at the girl, striking with another tentacle that grabbed her claw. "You just can't sit there and take it like a good girl can you?!"

Mizore felt the flesh rip away from her hand as the kraken pulled her with greater strength. She couldn't keep her grip on the bush and watched it slip away as she was dragged down towards her inevitable end.

For an instant, Mizore felt better. Time seemed to stand still as the girl floated weightless for that one moment when she went over the side. Mizore didn't scream or close her eyes. She'd lost the right to do that when she had shunned Danny earlier that day, besides she wouldn't give Kotsubo the pleasure of hearing her break at the end. However, one final tear of sadness escaped her eye and floated in the air right in front of her.

It fell away, along with her last glimpse of the sky, only to be replaced by the cold stone as she began to plummet. She could almost see Danny now, that same white hair and green eyes that had looked at her with such determination the day before. They held that same determination now, only they were for her. She thought if that was the last vision to go through her mind, just maybe she could die happy…

"Gotcha…" Danny declared as he caught Mizore and pulled her back towards the sky.

"What…?" Mizore gasped as Kotsubo's menacing grip fell away from her. The boy held her tightly in his arms as he flew higher into the air, pulling her safely away from her would-be grave. "Danny, how did you…?"

"What, you never met a guy who can pass through solid objects before?" the halfa smiled as he floated back down.

"But why are you here?" the girl asked, dumfounded.

"I told you yesterday Mizore, I don't like it when people go after my friends," Danny replied as he landed softly. "I meant _any_ of them…"

Mizore blushed as Danny placed her gently on the ground. Her happiness was short-lived however as Kotsubo appeared behind the boy and wrapped his sickening tentacles around him.

"Don't get cocky you little bastard," Kotsubo spat as he lifted the halfa into the air. "I'll just drag you down too!"

"That's your real body?" Danny sneered. "Eww, it's so sucky and squeezy…"

"Funny kid," Kotsubo growled. "Let's see if you feel like cracking jokes once I crack your bones!"

Danny cried out as the kraken began to pull at him. He could feel the huge strain in his stomach and spine as the teacher tried to rip him in two. Slowly but surely, his body began to give way as the tentacles tried to wrench him apart until it finally became too much.

"_DANNY!!!_" Mizore screamed in horror as she watched him ripped apart. His head and torso were lifted high into the air and his legs fell away from the rest. New tears filled her eyes while Kotsubo cackled insanely at his triumph.

"YOU SEE YOU BRAT?!" Kotsubo roared in Danny's dead face. "You can't protect a damn thing!"

"Yeah…" Danny's head whispered, a cocky smile crossing his face. "You sure showed me…"

Kotsubo's jaw dropped as the halfa's glowing eyes opened and his smile widened. The kraken felt a strange tingle flowing through his body and looked frantically for the source. His eyes fell back on Danny and when they did, the dull white light that had surrounded him moments before had been replaced with a green static-like glow.

"Ghost stinger…"

Kotsubo screamed in agony as green electricity flowed from Danny's body. He tried desperately to let go but his arms had been wrapped so tightly around the ghost boy and now his muscles refused to obey his mind. The pain was immense as the fleshy beast collapsed in a heap to the ground from the devastating jolt. Danny's legs flew back and connected to his body as the tentacles fell away.

"Sorry to scare you like that Mizore," Danny smiled, walking over to the trembling snow woman.

"How did you do that?" she asked shakily.

"It's just one of my many handy tricks," he smiled twisting his torso in a complete circle before bringing it back and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Really great for getting the kinks out of your back too."

Mizore jumped into Danny's arms and hugged him with all her might, afraid that if she let go, she would find herself falling again with no one to catch her.

"Danny I'm so sorry," she cried into his shoulder. "I didn't mean-"

"Shhh," Danny whispered, returning her embrace. "You've got nothing to apologize for. At least to me. Moka might want one for the whole 'trying to kill her thing'," Danny was relieved when he heard a sobbing laugh against his shoulder. He smiled when a cloud of blue smoke appeared from his mouth. "Still want to play coach?"

Mizore opened her eyes and gasped as Kotsubo's massive tentacle swung down to crush the pair. The next moment the teacher cried out in pain as Danny severed the offending appendage with one glowing hand.

"Sorry Coach but I think we've both had enough of those things for one day," Danny said standing protectively in front of Mizore.

"You bastard!" Kotsubo screamed holding the bloody stump of his arm. "You think I'll let you get away with this?!"

"I don't think you have much choice in the matter you sorry excuse for a squid," Danny growled clapping his hands together. He slowly pulled them apart and they crackled with green electricity. The bolts of energy quickly solidified and turned into a spiraling green ball of light. "Word to the wise… Keep away from my friends!" Danny roared as he shot toward Kotsubo.

The kraken could only watch helplessly as Danny rocketed forward with the massive sphere of energy. Danny slammed the ball into the man with incredible force. Kotsubo wailed in pain as it tore away at his body. The spinning light held its form for a few seconds before it exploded, releasing all the suppressed power on the teacher and sending him flying out over the sea.

Danny grinned as the teacher sailed through the air. "And that's the lesson for today…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ghost stinger?" Moka asked as Danny relayed the events of the previous day to his friends.

"Yeah," Danny demonstrated by flowing a small surge of green electricity across his fingertips. "I actually came up with it after the Swim Club incedent. I've been dying to find a way to work it in."

"How does it work?" Yukari jumped at the chance to learn something new, especially if it was about Danny.

"Well it's pretty much the same as my ghost ray only instead of powering it up all the way I kind of jumpstart the energy and control the flow so it won't be erratic and it comes out as electricity instead of an ectoplasmic beam," Danny explained.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kurumu said her mind spinning.

"To be honest, if I wasn't the one doing it, I wouldn't understand either," the ghost boy chuckled before he felt a shiver run up his spine. "Hey Mizore."

Everyone turned around to see the blushing snow woman hiding behind a tree.

"Oh Mizore your hair is so cute!" Moka cheered at the girl's new hairstyle now that she had cut it above her shoulders.

"Thanks," Mizore mumbled embarrassed. "How did you know it was me?"

"You're the only one who can send that chill up my spine so easily," Danny smiled making the snow woman blush deeper. "Wait… That might not have come out right."

"I'm so glad everything worked out right," Yukari whooped.

"Maybe," Kurumu growled. "But now that the news is out about Coach Kotsubo and his 'activities', Danny's even more popular and even _more _girls are hitting on him!"

"Don't worry Kurumu, there is a very select group of girls that I have my eye on," the halfa grinned earning a blush from the girls.

"Does that include me?" Mizore squeaked.

It was Danny's turn to blush.

* * *

Well now Danny has a new girl and a new power to show off. Hope I didn't confuse anyone with the whole "ripped in half" thing. That was just Danny's ability to stretch his body. In the first episode it looked like his torso was invisible when he used that power so there you go. As for the ghost stinger, it just makes his body one big ghostly taser. And now, on to reviews.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**Okami Princess:** You read my mind in regards to Mizore. I like the idea about Sun though, I'll have to remember that one. Thanks for the idea.

**thepenultimatefailure: **As always, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for being original its not a matter of being afraid I just think that things would more or less go the same at the beginning. Just bear with me a little longer cause my story will start getting more original _very_ soon. You asked about Danny's humanity. I don't know if you were getting at this but if you remember I have made references to people noticing Danny smelling like a human, that hasn't changed. It's true that he is different from Tsukune in the "half-dead thing" as you put it. Despite that, Danny still comes off as completely human, at least in his human form. Danny does actually consider himself human, but an "advanced" human. He has found a place at Youkai and thanks to that he has come to believe he belongs in both worlds (at least for the moment). I'm sorry if that wasn't coherent but that's the best I can do for now.

**Cylon One:** Okay, in chapter eight you asked if Moka agreed to be a model to make Ishigami happy. Yes, I suppose, but the main reason is that Ishigami just kept asking over and over, and even sweet little Moka has her limits and finally gave in. Glad the nosebleed joke hasn't got old yet. I'd answer your other questions but I think the story covered them all. Thanks and keep the reviews coming.

That goes for everbody, keep the reviews coming and I'll catch you later.


	11. Chapter 11

Happy Holidays everybody! Sorry it took so long but my computer started having problems right before Christmas so I had to get it fixed before I could upload my next chapter. Luckily they were able to save it before I lost all of my work. So what better way to celebrate the New Year than with a new chapter? Enjoy.

* * *

"The Newspaper Club?"

In one of the private buildings at Youkai Academy, two students were currently meeting. One was a tall young man with long blonde hair who was reading a copy of the latest paper. The other was a young woman with long maroon hair who was kneeling before the man. Both were wearing a black uniform that was reserved for a select few at Youkai. The woman nodded at the man's question.

"Yes sir," she reported, keeping her eyes on the ground until the man permitted her to look up. "They're currently passing out their papers at the school gate. Naturally without our consent…"

"'Gym teacher suspended indefinitely'," the blonde man growled before crumpling up the paper. "That gang of scum again. Who do they think they are, disregarding us and acting like saviors of justice?"

"There's more sir," the woman said, glancing up slightly. The man's harsh eyes fell on her and she dropped her gaze back to the dirt. "One of the students in the group is the American that has everyone in school talking."

"Danny Fenton…" the blonde spat. "He comes to this school and suddenly everyone is in an uproar like there is some new hero. Fine. We've let these renegades alone long enough. It's time we remind them who the real guardians of Youkai Academy are…"

The man tossed the paper to the ground where it burst into flame.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my god they got another one!"

"What?"

"The Newspaper Club has another babe!"

A huge crowd had gathered around the school gate. The source of the commotion was four beautiful girls passing out newspapers. And one boy.

"Thanks for helping Mizore," Danny smiled. "You're really a big help. But you know you don't have to."

Mizore blushed at the praise. "That's all right. I want to."

"Isn't it great Danny?" Kurumu giggled jumping on the halfa's back. "Our papers are a big hit."

"Kurumu you don't have to grab Danny like that all the time!" Moka shouted annoyed.

"What's the big deal? Danny _is_ mine," Kurumu purred. She hugged the boy tighter until a small kunai shaped dart struck her in the head.

"Keep your hands off my Danny," Mizore hissed, flipping another ice kunai in her hand while Kurumu ran in circles trying to pull the little knife out of her forehead.

"Danny help!" Yukari cried as a group of enamored boys chased her. "Lolicons are scawwwwy!"

"How's it going guys?" Gin asked as he walked up to join his club members.

"It's going great!" Moka cheered with one of her dazzling smiles that made almost every boy in the crowd faint in bliss.

"We might actually be doing better if our president helped pass out some papers," Danny commented, leering at the second year.

"Yeah right," Gin chuckled with an innocent smile. "That kind of work is just for the underlings…"

"Out of the way!"

Now it wasn't strange for the male students to yell that when they for fighting to get a newspaper from one of the girls, but something was different this time. For one thing it sounded more like a command than a bunch of crazed fans, and for another, everyone was actually obeying. The crowd began to part as a group of students with black uniforms marched imposingly toward the newsstand.

"Shit," Gin growled with a worried look on his face. "What the hell are they doing here?"

Most of the black suits stood at attention like soldiers awaiting orders. At the front of the group was a tall blonde man. He had two strange dark red dots above his eyes like some kind of paint. The student casually stepped forward and gave a gentlemanly bow.

"Greetings," the blonde said with a smile. "My name is Kuyou. I am the leader of the Public Safety Commission. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Public Safety Commission?" Moka asked nervously. "You mean the student police? What can we do for you?"

Kuyou reached out a hand toward the girl. In an instant, Gin had slid between the two and stood protectively in front of Moka. Koyou's smirk widened somewhat and he motioned to the papers she was holding.

"_I don't blame you for being tense Gin,_" Danny thought as Moka handed over a paper. "_This guy's aura is insane. He's still in human form and it's reminding me of the other Moka…_" It was all the boy could do to keep from trembling as he felt the chill of his ghost sense.

Kuyou chuckled as he flipped through the pages. "I must say, your work is quite good. I'm impressed such a small group can do such impressive work. I just have one question," he smiled before putting the paper on the newsstand table. "Who gave you permission to hand out papers with these contents?"

In an instant Kuyou had swung his leg and brought it down on the table. The wooden slab shattered on contact, sending papers flying in all directions. The Newspaper Club and all the students gathered around gasped in alarm. The rest of the black suits merely continued to watch at attention, except for a maroon haired girl that giggled darkly at the display.

"Do you understand what it means when a selfish gang like you does whatever you please?!" Kuyou shouted as the papers fell around him. "We are the ones who protect the peace of this academy! And when you spread this filth it causes nothing but trouble."

"Just what are you doing?!" Kurumu cried. Without warning, the maroon haired girl stepped forward and spat. A white ring hit the succubus in the wrist much to her disgust. The ring was some sort of sticky substance that Kurumu couldn't get off.

"I see the Newspaper Club is still full of arrogant lowlifes," the girl giggled wickedly. "Just like last year…"

"_Last year…?_" Danny thought glancing at Gin.

"This is your only warning," Kuyou said turning to leave. "If you do anything without our permission again, you won't get off so easily."

"Buh-bye…" the maroon haired girl stomped on a newspaper one last time before following her leader.

"Keito, keep an eye on them and see how they react," Kuyou ordered once the group was out of earshot.

"Teehee, with pleasure sir," the maroon haired girl replied.

"You okay Kurumu?" Danny asked once the Public Safety Commission had gone.

"Yeah, this stuff is just really nasty," Kurumu cringed as she tried to pull the goop off again.

"That was scary," Yukari said, still trembling. "Why would they do that?"

"Because they can," Gin sighed dejectedly. "You guys have seen firsthand just how dangerous this place can be. The Public Safety Commission is a militant group of students that were formed in order to protect the school. So they're basically the strongest organization in the academy."

"Pause and rewind," Danny said. "What do you mean protect the school? They haven't done a damn thing!"

"Yeah, I know," Gin rubbed his head. "They hardly ever do. They've become nothing more than a Yakuza gang. You heard them say we needed their permission? What that really means is they want us to pay them off."

"How can the school let them get away with that?" Moka asked.

"Don't you get it Moka? They're the ones who enforce the rules in the first place," Gin growled in defeat. "There's nothin' for it. Burn the rest of the newspapers."

"What?! We can't do that!" Kurumu cried.

"You can and you will!" Gin shouted. "Go against those guys and you're in for nothing but grief. Trust me, it's best if you don't get involved in old fights."

In a blur, Gin was gone leaving the others dumbfounded and a nearby Keito grinning ear to ear.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What a loser!" Kurumu screamed. "Can you believe he wants to burn all our hard work without even putting up a fight?"

"Kurumu calm down," Moka tried to calm the girl. "I'm sure Gin had his reasons."

"Yeah right. That pervert doesn't care about anything. He's just too big a coward to stand up to those guys," the succubus scoffed.

"_I'm not so sure,_" Danny thought. "_All this talk about 'last year' and 'old fights'… Just what are we missing?_"

"Come on, let's go talk to Gin about this," Moka suggested to the others.

"Forget it. We'll just pass the rest out ourselves, right Danny?" Before the ghost boy could answer, Kurumu had grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away.

"What should we do now?" Yukari asked.

"I'm not sure," Moka replied. "What do you think Mizore? Mizore…?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"All right Kurumu, spill."

"I don't know what you mean," Kurumu huffed as she led Danny around the school.

"Don't lie to me," Danny raised his voice to let her know he was serious. "If there's one girl in this group I can always read, it's you."

Kurumu's cheeks turned pink. "And why is that?"

"Are you kidding? You're more energetic than Yukari, it's easy to tell when you're depressed," the halfa replied with a comforting smile. It didn't last long however, and his face hardened again. "But don't go changing the subject."

Kurumu sighed in defeat. "You, Moka, and everyone at the club are the only real friends I ever had," she said solemnly. "We made these together. And to have those goons trample them underfoot like that…! I- I won't forgive them…"

Tears welled up in Kurumu's eyes as she looked down at the stacks of newspapers in her hands. She gripped them tighter almost as if they were the most important thing she possessed. Danny walked over and took one of the stacks from her before walking away. The furnace was nearby and she was afraid he was going to burn them as Gin had ordered.

"Are you coming?" Danny asked. "We need to finish handing these out before class starts."

"_Danny…_" Kurumu blushed before hurrying after the boy. "Right behind you."

Before Kurumu could catch up, a white stream struck the papers she was carrying and ripped them from her hands.

"You really are just too stupid!"

"You…!" Kurumu shouted at the sight of Keito. The girl was standing on top of a piece of thread that was connected to two trees. She looked down on the pair with a wicked smile.

"So you really plan to disobey us," she chuckled, jumping down to the ground. "Shame, shame…"

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Danny shouted, his anger rising. "We never did anything to you."

"Oh please," Keito shot back. "Your club has always been full of idealistic bastards that think they can change the world. They went against us countless times just like you're trying to do now. That's why last year we decided to… 'purge' your worthless little club."

"What do you mean 'purge'?" Kurumu asked, afraid of what the answer might be. Keito's depraved smile just grew all the wider.

"You sick bitch," Danny growled.

"Sick?!" Keito shrieked as if she'd just been slapped. "This school is a cesspool of hell spawned scum! The only reason it remains safe and orderly is because of _us_! Anyone who would challenge us and threaten that order _deserves to die at our feet!!_"

"Safe and orderly?!" Danny retaliated. "Name one thing you've done that's helped the people here! Do you stop thugs who threaten other students? Wait no, that's not it… You must have been the ones who stopped the teacher that was kidnapping girls. No wait… That was Moka. But _surely_ when a teacher was going around trying to rape his students you did something. Oops, that was _me…_ We've done more for this school than you Public Safety Creeps, and we didn't turn ourselves into some would-be heroes in the process."

"Would… be…" Keito seethed, her eye twitching. "_WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO!!!_"

"NO!" Kurumu cried as Keito tossed her papers into the nearby furnace. Her eyes watered as she watched all the hard work that she and her friends had done reduced to ash.

Before Danny or Kurumu could react, Keito sprayed a mass of threads from her mouth onto the two of them. The threads wrapped them up in a sticky net. Keito yanked on the strings, dragging the halfa and succubus into the air with ease. She cackled madly as she spun them around before slamming them hard into a tree. Kurumu screamed in pain and Danny started coughing up blood and mist.

Keito's fiendish smile was crueler than ever as she sauntered toward her prey. "I guess this means that I can kill you," she giggled playfully. As she approached, something on her stomach began pushing against the inside of her shirt. "Did you know that the Public Safety Commission is allowed to use supernatural powers in public? Just one of the many reasons we are superior to you."

Suddenly, the lower half of her shirt opened. Six long black and yellow spider legs wormed their way out of a sickening hole in her stomach just under her breasts. The legs squirmed around menacingly searching out the woman's target.

Danny let out a pained chuckle. "That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen. If my life weren't in danger, I'd probably barf."

"Shut up you worthless scum," Keito crawled toward Danny on all six legs. As she did, her enormous grin reached almost to the back of her head. Her teeth became fangs and four fang-like appendages ripped their way out her jaw and a second pair of eyes opened to stare hungrily at him.

Danny's face twisted in disgust. "You know what, I think I'm gonna barf anyway…"

Suddenly, the webbing froze and became brittle. "What the hell?!" Keito shrieked.

"Bout time," Danny grinned. With a quick surge of energy, he had shattered the frozen threads and fired a ghost ray that pushed the spider woman back.

"What happened?" Kurumu asked as the ghost boy broke her free.

"You have to ask?" Danny smiled. With that, Mizore appeared from behind the tree, startling the succubus.

"You knew?" Mizore asked, a slight pink in her cheeks.

"I told you, I always know when you're following me. I'm just surprised it took you so long."

"Sorry…"

"Just shut up!" Keito snarled almost hysterical now. "Another one of you just means more for me to drain dry."

"Lady please I've already said you're gonna make me sick…" Danny sighed. "If you want a fight so bad then I'm going…"

Before Danny could finish his signature cry, Mizore stepped in front of him facing the spider woman.

"Just stand back Danny," she said sternly. "It's time I started paying you back for all you've done for me. I'll deal with her."

"As if," Kurumu growled stepping forward. "I've got a score to settle with this bitch. You stand back."

The black suited female's two left eyes twitched in frustration as the girls argued.

"Just who the hell do you think I am?!" Keito hissed insanely. "I am one of the strongest in the Public Safety Commission. You couldn't beat me if you all attacked at once!"

"Forget it," Mizore said as her icy claws appeared. "We'll take her together. Just don't get in my way boob woman."

"That's my line Frosty," Kurumu shot back as her wings and tail appeared.

"You sluts!" Keito spat a huge spray of webbing at the girls.

"You need new tricks," Mizore said making a shield of ice that blocked the webs.

Kurumu leapt over the ice flapping her wings hard. "Here's some of ours," she yelled, her sharp nails extending from her fingers.

Keito raised her head to spit another stream of webs, but before she could, Mizore's shield rushed forward. The wave of icicles struck the spider in her gut, piercing her stomach with the cold shards. Before Keito had a chance to recover, Kurumu sped along the frozen path the snow woman had created, her sword-like nails slicing the ice. When she reached the spider woman, the succubus slashed her at tremendous speed, her nails ripping through her flesh.

Keito screeched in pain as she was drenched in her own blood. She was covered in stab wounds and a deep gash. One of her spider legs had been sliced off. The useless limb twitched on the ground next to her.

Danny let out an impressed whistle. "You two make one hell of a duet," he grinned making the girls blush.

"Yo-you think you will g-get away with this?" Keito wheezed. "I-I-"

Before she had a chance to finish Danny's eyes and hand glowed green. He telekinetically gagged her with some of her own threads.

"Save the threats spiderbitch," he said flatly. "I'm really not interested."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What?!" Kuyou roared in anger. "Keito was defeated?"

"Yes sir," one of his subordinates said, cowering at his leader's fury.

"That damn newspaper club," Kuyou seethed, his gold eyes burning with hatred. "So they plan to defy us to the end, do they? Fine, then their end it will be. This time we leave no one left. I'll kill the scum with my own hands!"

"Don't you think that could be problematic?"

The Public Safety Commission was startled by the strange, feminine voice. The lower ranked soldiers jumped in front of their leader to defend him if need be.

"Even the enforcers can't just destroy a club for no reason," the voice purred vainly.

"Who are you and how did you get in our headquarters?" Kuyou growled.

"Although I might know of a way you could go after them…" the woman said, ignoring him. She stepped forward in the dim light. Though her face was still covered by shadow Kuyou could make out what she was wearing. It was a tight black pair of pants with an orange t-shirt and a yellow trenchcoat.

"There's a chance," the woman continued, "that the exchange student, Danny Fenton is a human…"

A brief look of shock crossed Kuyou's features. "Really…?" he said, a feral grin spreading over his lips. "That's very interesting…"

* * *

Looks like Danny and the gang might have bit off a little more than they can chew. We're getting to the good part boys and girls. I got a record number of reviews for my story this week without even counting my time away so let's get to it.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**Naruto fan 99:** We'll see.

**Ultraman Nexus:** Sorry dude, no spoilers.

**Robby Cartwright: **Ice powers: yes. As I've said, Danny will get all the powers he had in the show (at the very least). As a matter of fact I have thought of a few OC, but they won't show for a while. As for the girls visiting Amity, that would be revealing too much.

**Ultimate-Zelda-fan:** Who could forget Ruby? Don't worry, She'll be here soon.

**Thozmp Corris:** Yeah, the stretching power is one of those that doesn't get explained that well. I just wanted to point out the fact that his torso was invisible there because I didn't want any confusion. After all, _Mystery Meat_ was the only episode it looked invisible, it looked black in the others. As for Ember, I'm still looking for a place to start her. Thanks for the review.

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom:** Me too. Awesome power.

**thepenultimatefailure: **I understand what you're getting at with Danny smelling less human but at the same time ponder this… What does a ghost smell like? Nobody can tell that Danny is human or ghost. He's just like all the other students. Unless they are somebody like Kuyou who has a massive aura that he keeps pouring out, no one can tell they are really a monster without a speical ability. After all, the Fenton's tech is built specifically to detect a ghostly aura. Moka wouldn't know the difference between Danny's blood and any other humans since Danny is the first person she has actually sucked blood from. I can't really say where Danny and Tsukune compare in 'tastiness'. I think there must be something special about Tsukune but it hasn't been revealed yet. Suffice it to say that Danny smells… _unique. _Happy Holidays!

**Hero Slayer:** Well as you can see, your first question was answered since the Enforcers are here. Sorry, I can't say anything about the 'pseudo ghoul' chapters since I try to avoid spoilers. You'll see how the human/transformation issue factors in next chapter. Now the ghost stinger, no that isn't original. Do you remember the episode _Public Enemies_ where Wulf first showed up? Danny protected him with an attack he called the 'ghost stinger' that caused a backlash of energy at Bullet. That trick was never shown again and never explained so this is my version. Like I said in the last chapter, Danny covers his body in a ghostly electricity so anyone who touches him feels like they stuck their finger in a light socket.

Well that's everybody I can answer today. Keep those reviews coming everybody. I'll catch you later and Happy New Year.


	12. Chapter 12

Alright, I have been dying to get to this part since I started this story. So what are you waiting for? _READ!_

* * *

"You did _what?!_" Gin shouted at his club members. "You friggin' idiots! Not only did you start something with the academy cops, but you beat one up and strung her up in her own web?!"

"She started it," Danny said simply.

"I don't give a rat's ass…!" the club leader yelled again. "It doesn't matter if it was self defense or not, they're gonna arrest you all for attacking one of their own!"

"Listen, they were causing us trouble for no reason. I'm not gonna roll over for them and I'm not gonna let them hurt my friends," Danny shot back. "I've had to put up with that crap enough for one lifetime."

"Ooh, Danny," Kurumu purred sitting on the boy's lap and rubbing her body against him. "You're so brave. I know you'll protect me…"

Mizore walked over and put her hand on Kurumu's shoulder. Two seconds later, the bluenette's head was encased in ice.

"Danny doesn't need a flabby chested girl like you slowing him down," she said before taking Danny's hand with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Right Danny?"

"Uhhhh…"

"I don't get it! Why are you more popular than me?!" Gin cut in, and wrapped Danny in a headlock and dragged him toward the door. "That's it, I'm turnin you in to the police and you're gonna get the death penalty."

"Jealousy is an ugly thing," Yukari sweatdropped.

Danny slipped his head out of Gin's grip just before the president opened the door. "Gin, you really think I'm gonna turn myself in to those Public Safety Creeps?"

"Creeps? You fool. It's much too late for that…"

"Kuyou!" Moka and Yukari gasped as the Commission leader appeared in the doorway with his followers.

The blonde relished the feeling of power as everyone in the room stiffened at his arrival. "You have made it clear that you intend to challenge us," he smirked. "And now it is time to face your judgment."

"Wait a sec," Gin said with a nervous smile. "It was just a scrap right? You can't shut our club down for that…"

"A _scrap_?" Kuyou practically spat the word. "Shut your mouth you mangy dog…"

"Just tell us what you want Kuyou," Danny said through gritted teeth.

"What we want, Fenton, is you…" Kuyou said, his intimidating smirk growing brighter as his minions circled the American. "You are hereby suspected of being a human."

Everyone in the Newspaper Club went wide eyed at the declaration. Danny clenched his fists nervously and Moka held her rosary as if in prayer. Several students who had been in the hallway heard the announcement and a whispering crowd quickly gathered outside the classroom, much to Kuyou's pleasure. He wanted as many students to see this as possible.

"What?!" Kurumu finally shouted. "That's insane. No human could be here, besides I've seen-"

"Kurumu!" Danny cut her off. She looked at him surprised when he stopped her from speaking up in his defense. Danny just shook his head very slightly to keep her quiet. "_This has to be a bluff. There's no way they could know about me. These guys could be looking for a way to condemn us all for breaking the rules. If she talks about the times we've used our powers they might arrest us for that…_"

"So what is it?" Kuyou asked, putting a hand on Danny's trembling shoulder. "Are you a human spy? Or maybe you intend to create chaos in this school. Trouble certainly does seem to follow you around…"

"Stop!" Kurumu yelled again, having heard enough. She slapped Kuyou's hand away. "Danny would never-"

"_**Move,**_" the man growled.

Everyone in the room cringed when Kuyou suddenly released a terrifyingly strong aura. Danny grabbed at his chest, choking on his ghost sense. Kurumu fell back on her ass at the severity of the energy. Even Kuyou's own followers jumped back as if they'd been burned. Some of the students in the hallway actually passed out.

"Yukari!" Moka yelled running toward the young witch who had dropped to her knees at the fearsome display.

Kuyou chuckled and snapped his fingers. In an instant, two of his enforcers rushed forward and grabbed Moka roughly by the shoulders.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you go Moka Akashiya," the Commission leader said. "According to our information, you were aware of Fenton's secret. Let's go."

With that, Kuyou and the Public Safety Commission dragged Danny and Moka away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gin was fuming as he paced the floor of the classroom. "A human, he says. I can't believe I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry I had anything to do with the bastard."

"Don't tell me you actually believe those creeps," Kurumu exclaimed. "I've seen Danny transform a bunch of times." Both Mizore and Yukari nodded in agreement.

"Into what exactly?"

For that, the girls had no answer. They'd all wondered what exactly Danny's true form was, something to do with ghosts from the way he talked, but they'd never seen powers like his before. They'd never even heard of anything like most of them.

"I didn't think so," Gin said. "I mean come on. He has no aura whatsoever; his athleticism is pathetic, just like a human. Hell, now that I think about it, he even smells like a human…"

"But there's no way a human could be here…" Mizore argued.

"Yeah, and even if he were, they couldn't do anything to Moka," Yukari agreed hopefully.

"Of course they could," Gin shouted. "If Danny really is a human then he's going to be executed, plain and simple. If Moka knew, then they'll kill her for harboring him. They might even sentence all of us along with them to set an example!"

"What?" the young witch gasped.

"It doesn't matter, we've got to go help them," Kurumu said.

"Now hang on, this is Kuyou we're talking about," Gin replied. "You felt that energy right? Even in his human form, that guys demonic aura is unreal. What's worse is that he thinks he's the good guy, and until the school says otherwise, he's got the support to back it. If we go against them we're gonna be in some deep- Hey, listen when I'm talking!"

The three girls had already filed out of the classroom. "_Forget him,_" Kurumu thought as she led the way down the hall. "_When it comes down to it, he just doesn't want to save Danny. We don't need him anyway._"

"Damn!" Gin growled hitting the wall so hard it dented. "If this keeps up we're just going to see last year happen all over again… I really hate crap like this."

XXXXXXXXXX

Moka clutched Danny's arm tightly as the Public Safety Commission led them through their headquarters. From the outside, the building had looked much smaller than they had expected, but once inside they had been led downstairs into an enormous dungeon. The halls were lined with cells that contained several students. Some of the students were wailing in misery, others were roaring in anger as they shook the doors of their cages, and others just sat feebly on the ground, shaking with fear.

"Danny, what are we going to do?" Moka whispered desperately to her friend. "We can't let them find out about you."

"What I want to know is how they found out in the first place," Danny whispered back. "Besides, I was invited here. The headmaster knows about me, so even if I am part human, it shouldn't be a problem. None of this makes any sense."

"Damn it, let me out!" one student screamed as they passed his cell. "I didn't do anything wrong! You can't keep me here!"

"Silence," Kuyou said flatly without even looking at the student. "It is not for you to say if what you've done is wrong or not. I am the justice in this academy and I say you rot here."

"DAMN YOU KUYOU!!" the student roared and reached his hand through the bars. As he did, it grew into an enormous claw that swiped at the blonde man. Before the blow could land, a young red haired girl dashed between them and caught the enormous paw with ease.

"Nuh-uh-uh," the girl giggled playfully. She was about Kurumu's height with long red hair that she wore in a ponytail that reached down to the center of her back. She wore a black uniform like the others, only hers seemed to be of Chinese design. "You shouldn't raise your hand to Master Kuyou…"

The attacker suddenly shrieked in pain. Danny and Moka watched in shock as the enormous monster and the red haired girl were enveloped in a red glow. Danny's ghost sense spiked again and he could feel the monsters demonic aura being drained away into her. The beast struggled desperately to pull away but the red head held him firm. Finally, the creature crumbled to the floor, twitching madly from the girl's ability.

"Nicely done, Deshiko," Kuyou said with an approving nod. "Such a low class beast was unworthy of my attention."

"Happy to oblige sir," Deshiko bowed with a slight blush.

"Now it is your turn Fenton," Kuyou said turning back toward the American. "Show me your true form."

"What?" Danny asked, still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

"It should be easy enough, shouldn't it?" Kuyou claimed stepping on the face of the student who had tried to attack him. "If you really are a monster, then just like this thing here transform and prove it to us."

Before Danny could blink, Kuyou had closed the distance between them. The Commission leader kicked the boy hard in the gut, slamming him against the bars of a cell. Moka rushed over to him, frightened tears falling down her cheeks.

"Why are you wasting my time?" Kuyou spat with a sadistic smile. "Get on with it. Just change and clear your name! Or is it all true…?"

Kuyou was about to kick the boy again when a ring of white light appeared around him making the blonde and Moka step back.

"Hold your horses you prick," Danny said climbing to his feet. The ring of light followed him as he picked himself up. "I'm just a little shy. But if you want to see it so bad, I'm going ghost…"

The ring split and moved over the boy's form. Moments later, his hair had turned white, his eyes glowed with green light, his skin had darkened, and he wore a strange black jumpsuit. His entire body now shone with a dull silvery aura.

"Happy?"

"_Yes,_" Moka smiled with relief. "_Now there's nothing they can do to him. He proved he isn't a human._"

For the second time that day, a look of shock sat on Kuyou's normally stoic face. He had been so sure. Everything was going to work out perfectly and he could end that worthless Newspaper Club for good. Now his one chance, the boy who was supposed to be human and cause the downfall of that group of interlopers, had transformed right in front of them and proven his innocence.

"Well if we're done here, I think we'll be leaving, right Moka?" Danny said with a confident grin.

Without warning, Danny's body was engulfed by flames. His mouth opened in a silent scream of pain as the fire exploded over his body. As quickly as it had come, the blaze disappeared. The ghost boy's body smoked from the powerful fire and he collapsed to the ground.

Moka cowered in shock as another set of white rings returned Danny to his human form. "_DANNY!!!_" she cried racing toward him. The next thing she knew, there was a crushing pain in her gut. Kuyou had punched her with resounding force. The vampire girl was unconscious before she hit the floor.

"Bring them," Kuyou seethed at his minions. The stunned followers looked at him with fear and disbelief. "_NOW!!_" their leader's voice echoed through the silent hallway. They all jumped in alarm. One threw Moka over his shoulder and two others grabbed Danny by the arms and dragged his limp body after Kuyou.

"_Bastard…_" was the last thought Danny had before his mind was lost to the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wah, I'm scawwwed," Yukari bawled as the three girls approached the headquarters of the Public Safety Commission.

"This sure is a creepy place," Mizore said in ever present monotone as she looked down the row of torii (Japanese gateways) that led to the building.

"Let's go you two," Kurumu said, steeling her resolve.

"Didn't I tell you to wait?"

All the girls looked up in surprise to see Gin sitting atop one of the gates.

"You realize you're only gonna make things worse right?" Gin yelled down at the three. "You really think you can fix things by marching in there and beating people up?"

"Then what would you do?" Kurumu yelled back. "Danny and Moka are in danger and you want to just sit there and _plan_? You're always like this," she was officially pissed off now. The rest of the group had faced trouble whenever it came, and Gin had the nerve to lecture her? "All you ever do is keep yourself safe without thinking about anyone else. You're pathetic, so just go hide in a hole and _stay out of my way!_"

"FINE! Then do whatever you want you cow!" Gin roared at the succubus. He dropped to the ground and stormed past her. "What are you so emotional about anyway?! Would you really go to save him even if he is a human?!"

Everyone froze at the question. Yukari looked at the succubus nervously. Gin turned back and fixed her with a hard glare. Even Mizore looked at the girl with baited curiosity.

For a moment Kurumu hesitated when the others looked so intently at her. For a moment she hesitated at the thought of the man she loved having lied to her these last few months. For a moment…and only for a moment.

"Stupid…" she gave Gin an amused smile. "Of course I would…"

Gin's eyes went wide at her declaration. It made no sense how she could still care about someone who had kept such a big secret from her… How she could care about a _human…!_

"Right…" Mizore said, tossing Kurumu a comforting grin. "It doesn't matter whether he's human or not."

Yukari sat there stunned at the confidence in the two girl's voices. But then she thought of how Danny had always put himself at risk for the others. How he'd defended her when she didn't deserve to be defended, and she found there were no doubts in mind either. "Then what are we waiting for?" Yukari asked before racing down the row of torii. "Let's goooooooo!!!"

"Yukari, wait up!" Kurumu shouted as she and Mizore raced after the little witch, leaving Gin standing there, still lost in his own shock.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You told me he was human!" Kuyou roared at the shadowed woman. He had brought Danny and Moka to the basement and sent his minions away. The basement held an old boiler and furnace but other than that it was a large empty room that was falling into decay. "Dammit, answer me Ishigami!"

"I said he _might_ be human," the ex-art teacher argued stepping into the light, though she too was frustrated.

"Don't toy with me," Kuyou snarled, his aura flaring in rage. "He transformed in front of everyone. He made me look like a _fool!_ All because of your pathetic assumption!"

"You can smell it can't you?" Ishigami asked nervously. "He smells so much like a human. I've tasted his blood, it was _human_ blood! I don't know how he did what he did but he is without a doubt, human…!"

"No…he's not…"

The two blondes looked over to see Moka. She was on all fours and breathing hard but she looked at them with all the fierce determination she could muster.

"Danny's only half human," the vampire panted. "But he's also half ghost. His powers are unique but he's not really a human. What's more, he was invited here by the school's headmaster himself, which means there's nothing you can do to him."

The two stared at the girl in surpise. They paused in thought at her impossible explination. Then Ishigami spoke up, a devious smirk playing over her lips. "_Half_ human you say… That's certainly intriguing, wouldn't you agree Kuyou?"

"Indeed…" Kuyou replied, a similar grin appearing on his face. "And being half ghost? That sounds rather suspicious to me. I've never heard something so ludicrous. He's seeming more and more like a human spy…"

"Wha-what?!" Moka muttered in disbelief. "B-but the school board-"

"I'd say they made a mistake," Kuyou said, his smile becoming more sadistic. "You fail to realize Moka Akashiya, that _I _am the justice in this school. The school board does not decide the law here _I DO!" _Kuyou's hand suddenly burst into flame. His predatory eyes locked on Danny as the flames danced over his fingers without burning him. _"_And I say that your friend is _GUILTY!_"

Kuyou pointed his fiery palm at the halfa. Flames burst forth from it and rushed toward the boy. They exploded with such force that Ishigami had to shield her eyes from the blast. It was like a bomb had gone off in the room.

"Bastard!" the gorgon hissed as the flames died down. "We had a deal. I gave you what you needed to take down the Newspaper Club and I get to kill them!"

"Damn woman…" Kuyou said simply, ignoring the former teacher. Ishigami looked back at the site of the explosion and was surprised to see both students clear of the blast.

"_So she pulled him out of the way,_" she thought noticing Moka sitting over Danny's still limp form. "_Not bad. This has become more interesting than I had expected…_"

The force of the explosion stirred Danny. "Mo…ka…" he whispered, opening his blurry eyes.

"Danny," Moka sobbed at how weak he looked, the boy who had always faced danger head on for her. "Take off my rosary," she instructed. Danny looked up at her tear stained faced and she smiled gently at him. "It'll be alright, even if everyone else hates you for being a human, I never could. You've always protected me… Now it's my turn."

Danny nodded weakly and reached for the cross that bound her power. Just as his hand skimmed the silver seal…it fell back to the ground. Danny collapsed into Moka's chest, the pain too much for him to bear.

"No…!" Moka wept hugging her friend tightly. "_Why is this happening?! He doesn't deserve this!!_"

"Do you understand what you're doing?" a voice growled behind Moka. She turned in horror to see Kuyou standing over her, a sinister rage in his golden eyes. "That boy is a human and still you try to protect him… You're nothing but a traitor to all monsters!"

Moka clutched Danny all the tighter as the man's demonic aura grew to terrifying levels. His presence alone seemed to be burning her. She held Danny protectively, prepared to do anything she could to save him, no matter how little it might be.

"You have gone against me and this academy. For the crime of treason I hereby sentence you to _death,_" Kuyou chuckled as a cloud of fire appeared in his hand. It struggled against some invisible bonds to reach out and consume the two, almost as if Kuyou was holding an inferno in the palm of his hand.

"_Danny…_" all hope was lost to Moka as the Commission leader pointed his blazing fingers toward them…

Suddenly, several vines burst out of the ground an ensnared Kuyou's wrist, pulling his fiery hand away from the students. An instant later, his hand was encased in a thin layer of ice that extinguished the flame.

"I knew you'd be in trouble without me…" a voice sighed as a familiar pair of black wings separated Danny and Moka from their tormentor.

"Kurumu!" Moka exclaimed in astonishment and relief. The succubus was quickly joined by a purple haired girl who also took a defensive stance. "Mizore!"

"Danny looks hurt," a little brown haired witch proclaimed summoning a doctors bag from thin air. "I have to put medicine on him right away!"

"You too Yukari?" Moka cried tears of joy as her friends appeared.

"_I tried_ _to freeze him completely, and that's all I could manage?_" Mizore thought as her ice melted away. "Kurumu, my ice isn't working. Give him more!"

"With pleasure!" the succubus shouted angrily as purple waves of light radiated from her eyes.

"_What are these vines? They won't burn,_" Kuyou wondered calmly as more broke out of the ground and wrapped around him. "_I see. That must mean…_"

The group was suddenly pushed back as Kuyou's body burst into flame and his aura skyrocketed. They struggled to hold their ground before they were blown away.

"He's overpowering my illusion!" Kurumu cried out as the vines faded from their false existence.

"Ridiculous, trying to stop me with a child's trick," he roared as his aura let up but his body continued to blaze. "Retched fools, I'll turn you all to ashes!"

Suddenly there was another burst of strong demonic energy, but this one wasn't from Kuyou.

"I told you guys to wait but you never listen," a voice sighed as a lone figure stepped through the door. "Now you've gone and turned this whole thing into a crazy show…"

"Gin Morioka…" Kuyou hissed as the Newspaper Club's leader walked into the room.

"_So they're all here…_" Ishigami thought. She had jumped behind the boiler as soon as the reinforcements had started to arrive. Now she smiled at the turn of events. "_I must admit, this is truly an artistic sight…_"

"Why?" Kurumu asked bewildered. "You said-"

"We'll talk later," Gin sighed scratching his head. "If you're gonna go this far then there is nothing for it… I'll just finish this quick…"

"Now isn't this amuzing…" Kuyou chuckled, drawing everyones attention. The flames surrounding his body burned brighter as the man laughed. "You've all come together to bear your fangs at me… Don't you realize that I am the ruler at this school?! You've all lost your minds!!"

"Maybe your right…" Gin said taking a step forward. "_I can't believe I'm risking my life for these idiots,_" he thought as his pace increased. "_But then again, I guess it's not that strange..._" His hands covered in gray fur and sharpened into claws. "_After all, these guys took away the people I cared about last year…_" His face grew fur as well and his jaw stretched forward to become a canine's snout. "_And watching all my friends stripped away from me is something I don't want to have to see…_" He was a blur now. His wolf-like face became more pronounced as his fangs erupted in a vengeful and feral grin. "_…EVER AGAIN!!!_"

Kuyou turned his fiery fist toward the charging beast but for all his strength and skill it was like trying to catch the wind. In an instant Gin had rushed by him. The wake of his charge extiguished the flames leaving Kuyou stunned. The shock was short-lived however as the effect of Gin's assault took its toll. Kuyou felt the first punch strike his face even as he saw his enemy behind him. Two more to the face and the man was spitting blood, even though Gin hadn't moved from his place. Two to the right shoulder, one to the throat and Kuyou lost count of the sheer number of blows dealt to his torso as he crumbled to the ground.

Everyone was frozen by awe as the Commission leader fell. Even Danny with his weak consciousness was stunned by the incredible display of strength and speed.

"Rule if you want," Gin growled as his human form began to return. "Just remember that if you ever mess with my club members, you'll always end up on floor…"

"A werewolf," Yukari muttered. Even in her shocked state the genius in her couldn't help but to explain things. "One of the natural born S-class races, just like vampires. Known for their speed, some say the fastest beings to ever exist. That's what Gin was all this time?"

"Way to go!" Kurumu cheered racing toward her club leader in thanks. Before she could give him a grateful hug, Gin's hand reached out and squeezed her breast.

"My reward for saving you," the werewolf chuckled with his tail wagging.

"Isn't it great Danny?" Moka whispered to the halfa as Kurumu slapped Gin across the face. "Everyone heard about you and they still came."

"Yep," Danny replied weakly, but smiling all the same.

"_They're quite the crew, that gang of misfits…_" Ishigami thought from her hiding place as everyone gathered around Danny. "_But did they really think it would be that easy?_"

The gorgon smirked in pleasure as an enormous aura shook the building and the room burst into flame.

* * *

YES! Now _that_ is how you introduce a badass werewolf! Damn I've been waiting for that. And we're just getting started boys and girls. Part two will be coming next week so get ready. Until then, reviews!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers.

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom:** You forgot duplication. I'll keep them all in mind, thanks.

**Okami Princess:** First off, don't feel stupid over the ghost stinger. That power was never explained in the series when he used it and Vlad did use the shock attack against Danny one time. I just connected the two and put my own twist on it. Second, don't worry, I don't think your a perv. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a fantasy about the girls once in a while. I like the wraith name too. Can't say anything about it one way or another but it definitely has a nice ring.

**thepenultimatefailure:** Well now you know how things went with Danny and his revelation. I have no trouble seeing Kuyou doing this, can you?

**Jade:** Look I'm all for suggestions, but you need to offer something that is a little less lethal.

**Hero Slayer:** Well as you can see the mystery woman was Ishigami, and yeah, that was cannon in the manga.

**Engelmohr2004:** Nope sorry, Ishigami. But thanks for playing. Still no ghosts from back home yet.

**Aryashi:** Before I reply to anything I have to ask, am I crazy or did your name change since this review was first posted? Now that that is out of the way, you're making me blush with all the compliments. Never apologize for questions, I appreciate every review. Sorry, I can't tell you what is happening in the US, that will come in time. Danny hasn't been addressed as Phantom yet because he isn't Danny Phantom at Youkai, he's just Danny. It's just my way of thinking, Danny Phantom has a secret identity, but at Youkai, he's just Danny Fenton and he's not that different from anyone else. As for Gin, wish granted. I hope you liked that part as much as I did.

**Cylon One:** I'm glad you like it. Danny may be the main character but in my opinion one of the biggest problems with Rosario+Vampire was that Moka and Tsukune did everything. The other girls might fight but they never really did anything, so I want to change that and give everyone a chance to strut their stuff.

Well that's another chapter down. Hope you all enjoyed it and if you did you're gonna love next weeks. 'Til then, later people!


	13. Chapter 13

And now the exciting conclusion...

* * *

"What the hell is happening?!" one of the imprisoned students screamed in fear as the underground prison shook as though there was an earthquake.

"It's got to be Kuyou!" another shouted. "His aura is shaking the whole place!"

"That's insane!" a third said hiding as far in a corner as he could get. "I'd hate to be the dead man going up against this!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Everybody get down!" Gin called to the others.

Everyone backed away as Kuyou's aura erupted in a spiraling flame that was tearing the room apart. They could hear the man's sadistic laughter echo around them as the burning tornado whipped at them with furious heat. The one's that were hurt most were Danny and Mizore who were both on the ground breathing hard.

Danny wheezed with each breath. He could feel the familiar touch of his ghost sense even though there was no blue mist. The air was so dry that the blue cloud evaporated in his throat before it could escape. That was the very problem that was causing trouble for Mizore. As a snow woman she thrived in cold places. But in the confined space with such intense heat, the girl was practically shriveling.

Moka sat next to her shuddering friends, checking on the two. The rest stood protectively in front of them. Gin and Kurumu watched the fire with nervous expressions but steeled resolve, ready for whatever they might face. Even little Yukari had her wand out in courageous defiance.

"_I'm glad I stayed for this,_" Ishigami thought from her place behind the boiler. "_You paper boys did well but you don't stand a chance against the artistic beauty of Kuyou's true form. Now you suffer for everything you robbed from me._"

The punishing swirl of Kuyou's energy finally settled and the fire slowly began to recede. Everyone looked in fearful anticipation as the last towering flame died away to reveal Kuyou's true form.

"No way…" Gin said wide eyed. "That's what we're up against?"

Standing before them was a large yellow fox. Its long golden fur was waving as if was a flame all its own. Red spirals were etched into its pelt that seemed to glow deep red, much like the foxes eyes. Last but not least, were the fox's four tails, each one a stream of flame that waved around wildly.

"A y-y-youko…" Yukari stuttered in terrified awe. "One of the strongest monsters in Japan… They've even been known to be worshiped as gods!"

"Danny Fenton…" the yellow beast resounded. "Half human, half ghost. A sick perversion of a being. You have no right to be here. A creature like you has no right to even exist. As the god of this academy, I shall end your miserable existence."

The man's words struck at Danny's heart. When he'd first become the strange hybrid he was now, similar thoughts had tortured his mind. Trapped between two worlds and unaccepted by both, he had thought he would never belong anywhere. Then he had come to Youkai Academy. He'd found friends who accepted him. Hell, more than accepted, they literally _loved_ him. Now those same friends were in danger because he didn't belong there either. It was almost too much to bear.

"Danny, don't make that face," Moka said. Danny looked at her to see her bright smile beaming at him. "It'll be okay. Because you're here with us, where you belong…"

"_Moka…_"

"That's right," Kurumu chimed in. "You're already hurt, so stay right there."

"I'll help heal your wounds later," Yukari said raising her shaking wand again.

"Don't worry Danny," Mizore said climbing to her trembling legs. "We'll finish this now."

"_Guys…_" Danny thought as the girls readied themselves.

"Half human, half ghost huh?" Gin sighed scratching his head. "Man you are one freaky monster. And now you're gonna make me and the girls do all the work? Wimp."

"Sorry we can't all look as cool in a fight as some warp-speed werewolf," Danny shot, though he grinned despite himself. "And who said I was gonna let you do all the work?"All the girls protested as Danny pulled himself up.

"You people disgust me!" Kuyou howled. "Despite the human blood in this boys veins, despite the threat he poses, _you still protect him! _You scum are beyond redemption and now I'm going to end you…"

The youko's tails all began to spin in a clockwise motion like a helicopter blade. The fiery appendages became a blur that shone with a bright orange ring of flame.

"What the hell is he doing?" Danny yelled as the swirl of energy returned.

"He's concentrating his energy on the tips of his tails for some reason," Gin called back.

"Now bow before me!" Kuyou roared as the blazing ring flew forward. "_**CIRCLE OF HELL!!!**_"

"_Shit!_" Gin thought as the flaming disk approached. "_There's no way they can dodge that! And if I move…_"

The group braced themselves for the impact. They felt the ring's explosion as it threatened to send them all flying and the heat from the terrible flames that would reduce them to cinders. But when they opened their eyes they were all still standing.

The smoke had turned into a suffocating black mist. They all watched nervously as it began to clear and reveal…

"_GIN!!!_" Kurumu screamed in horror at the sight of the club's leader. He was standing with his clawed hands outstretched. All the fur had been burned off and his body was covered with darkened ash.

"Idiot…" he coughed as he fell to the ground. "I'm such…an idiot…"

"Wh-why didn't he dodge it?!" Kurumu cried in disbelief. "He's faster than any of us…!"

"He…protected us," Mizore whispered.

Kuyou roared with twisted barking laughter. "And I thought werewolves were supposed to be fast! It seems he was nothing but a bug after all!"

"Bastard…" Danny growled dropping to his knees beside the unconscious Gin. The boy eyes turned a bright luminescent green. "You _fucking BASTARD!!!_"

A white ring passed quickly over the boy's body instantly revealing his ghostly form. A large green orb of ectoplasmic energy appeared in his hands and he pushed it towards the youko with all his might. The entire room was filled with a green glow as Danny unleashed the most powerful ghost ray he had ever fired.

Kuyou was unprepared. He had never seen a technique like it before and was thrown back as the bright spectral light struck against his chest. Everyone watch amazed as the demon fox was forced backwards where he collided with the wall that crashed down on top of him.

Danny fell back to all fours breathing hard. Another white ring returned him to his human form, his ghostly energy totally spent.

"_So that's what he can do…_" Ishigami thought, observing the scene. "_Impressive…_"

"Danny that was great!" Kurumu cheered hugging him tightly.

The halfa squealed in pain. "Ow, ow, Kurumu, burns," he wailed.

"Knock it off!" Yukari said, striking the bluenette with her wand.

"Or I'll make an ice cube out of you…" Mizore agreed.

"You really were incredible though," Moka offered the ghost boy with a comforting smile that the boy returned.

"Indeed…"

Everyone's eyes widened in horror. They turned to the pile of stone that covered Kuyou's body just in time to see it explode in a bright orange flash. Despite the force of Danny's attack his body appeared unharmed. The youko howled with such force that the room shook once again.

"I would never have expected such strength from one who carries human blood," Kuyou said smugly, stepping toward them slowly on all four legs. "So I will concede to you this much boy. That…stings…"

Mizore was the first to act. She jumped up and charged toward Kuyou, icicles firing out of her sleeves like a Gatling gun. The attack was useless however as the shards evaporated before they could even reach the creature. Kuyou swung one of his tails, sending the girl flying against a side wall.

Kurumu was next. The succubus leapt into the air, pumping her wings with all the strength she could muster. Her long nails extended as she charged, aiming for the foxes eye. Kuyou's glare locked onto her though and a flash of fire appeared around the girl, sending her tumbling against the ground.

Once again Moka and Yukari stood protectively in front of Danny and now their fallen leader as well, and once again two of Kuyou's tails flew. The tails whipped together between the girls and then pulled apart swiftly, sending the girls flying in opposite directions.

"Foolish little girls," the demon fox chuckled. "Did you really think you could challenge a god?! Here and now, I will strip you of every last ounce of your worthless hope!"

The bright orange flames that surrounded Kuyou suddenly turned a brilliant blue. As he rose to stand up on his hind legs, the tattoos on his shoulders, face, and chest, as well as his glowing eyes all shone with a brighter red light. The ears on the side of his moved to the top of it, settling in the roots of Kuyou's long golden mane. The front paws turned back into a pair of hands. His snout receded back into his face, returning it to a grinning human mouth.

Everyone watched in terrified wonder as the fur melted into his body, though the red markings held their place on his flesh. The pink skin returned to his muscular upper body. His legs however maintained their canine shape, glowing as blue fire radiated off of them, including his four swishing tails. Last but not least, his eyes ceased their red glow and returned to his golden human stare.

"_Marvelous…_" Ishigami licked her lips at the sight.

"You should feel honored…" Kuyou laughed madly. "Only one person has witnessed this form before, and he was reduced to smoldering ash. This is the ultimate power of the god of Youkai Academy!" He smirked at Danny, the source of the whole ordeal with a demented glint in his eye. "And now you shall sit there and watch as your friends meet the same fate."

Danny looked horrified as Kuyou held up his hand to create a raging sphere of blue flame. It was like the boy was staring into the fiery blue core of the earth itself. The burning demon grinned at the fear on the boy's face. He turned his blazing fingertips toward Moka…

"STOP!!!" Danny cried. "I give…"

Kuyou raised a curious eyebrow at the halfa's broken words.

"I'll leave the academy. I'll admit to being a human. I'll even let you execute me in front of everyone if that's what you want!" Danny said bowing his head to the ground in shame and fright. "Just please…let them go…"

The flame in Kuyou's hand died away. "Admirable…for a human…" Danny raised hopeful eyes at the towering creature as his golden eyes softened. "I am not without mercy boy. You have shown courage and I will take that into consideration."

"Thank you," Danny whispered a tear of happiness sliding down his cheek.

"I had intended to make them suffer," Kuyou said, his hand burning with blue flame again. "Instead I will kill them quickly…"

Danny's eyes grew in horror once again as the Commission leader smiled wickedly at him. The fox demon turned his hand toward the fallen vampire once more as a bullet of blue fire tore at the girl. Moka was too frightened to even brace herself as her fiery end closed the distance between them…but never reached her.

Calling up reserves he didn't know he had, Danny threw himself in front of the projectile. The small blue inferno exploded against the boy's human back, shielding Moka from the assault. His jacket and shirt were incinerated instantly by the torrent of flame.

"Hey now," Kuyou smiled in mild surprise. "It's no fun if you die first."

"D-Danny…" Moka stuttered in terrified shock. The boy took one step towards her before his legs gave way. Moka rushed over to him, catching his limp body and was horrified by what she saw. Danny's flesh along his backed had been reduced to a blackened mess where it still shown. Along his spine the burns were third degree, revealing the whites of his backbone almost all the way down. She heard the boy moan against her chest before he uttered a few pained words.

"Give him one…for me…" he whispered before taking her silver cross in his teeth and ripping it off.

The seal clattered to the floor as the last of the boy's strength left his body.

"Danny? _Danny?!_" Moka asked desperately, praying for an answer. "_DANNNNNNYYYYYYYYY!!!!_"

"_Here it comes…"_ Ishigami thought as a tremendous aura shook the building once again.

Kuyou watched intently as the girl in front of him who was carrying the young hybrid began to change. Her long pink hair lost its color and became a beautiful silver color. She grew a few inches as she hugged the lifeless boy against her growing breast. And when she opened her eyes, they were not the soft fearful green eyes they had been a moment ago, but hard and vicious eyes of crimson red that stared him down with murderous intent.

"_The powerful vampire who inflicted wounds on my beautiful body,_" Ishigami moaned in ecstasy at the sight of the two super powered creatures preparing to do battle. "_Exquisite…"_

"Danny!" Kurumu cried as the three girls rushed over to the two.

"I don't think he's breathing!" Yukari trembled, both afraid for Danny and in fear of Moka's true form.

"Vampire…" Kuyou chuckled. "An immortal being said to be without equal. At last I witness one with my own eyes. But against a god…" he laughed maniacally, "…a mighty vampire is nothing more than a glorified bat!"

"What do we do?" Mizore asked shaking.

"Stand back," Inner Moka ordered. Her energy suddenly spiked, forcing the other girls to obey.

"_Is she coming?_" Kuyou braced himself for an attack. Despite his claim, a super vampire was not to be taken lightly. But his eyes grew wide at what he saw.

"_Danny…_" Moka thought as she bore her fangs. "_Please forgive me…_"

The girls gasped in horror as Moka sank her teeth into Danny's neck.

"Moka what are you doing?!" Kurumu screamed. "If you drink his blood, he really is going to die!"

A few seconds later, Moka pulled away, blood dripping off her fangs. She placed the boy gently on the ground, making sure he was facedown so that his wounds were not aggravated. "Watch over him for me…" she said facing Kuyou with a furious spark in her eyes. "I didn't drink his blood. I injected mine into him."

"Of course," Yukari said hopefully. "Vampire blood has incredible healing properties. It might be enough to heal him from the inside out!"

"Then Danny will be okay?" Mizore asked as Kurumu picked the boy up and pulled him away.

"Unfortunately, I don't know," Moka replied preparing to face the youko. "The first problem with this is that the success rate is low."

Before the girls could say anything else, Moka charged toward Kuyou. The demon fox had been trying to hear the girls conversation, and was not ready for the kick that struck him in the jaw. He flew backwards and hit the opposite wall. A second kick came at his face, but this time he managed to get his hands up and hold her off.

"You should prepare yourself," Moka growled, pushing her foot against his hands."If Danny does die, _I will rip your heart out of your chest and crush it in my hands!!!_"

Kuyou flinched at the look of sheer barbaric rage on the vampires face. Moka took that moment to leap and drive her other foot to the man's face. After the blow landed, she followed it up with three heavy kicks to his gut and one last foot to the face. On the last kick she pushed off of him with all her might, forcing him against the crumbling wall and leaping back towards the others.

"Yayyy!" Yukari giggled as hope flooded back into her. "Moka is just as strong as I thought she'd be!"

"No…" Kurumu said with a worried look on her face. "I've seen her fight several times now and her energy was never this weak…"

"What?!"

Suddenly, a ball of blue flame flew toward Moka. The girl just barely managed to get out of its path before the fireball struck the ground where she had been standing and exploded. She slid backwards, her right leg charred and smoking as she came to rest in front of the others.

"Is that it?" Kuyou hissed as the smoke cleared. "I thought vampires were supposed to be strong. Or maybe I'm too powerful for you…"

"No, this is the second problem," Moka replied scanning her leg for significant damage. "Blood is a vampires source of power. Since I have given Danny a large amount of mine, it has weakened my own power."

"Miserable excuse," Kuyou cackled. He raced forward so fast that no one could see the motion. In an instant, he was behind her. Moka kicked at him with all her might but he blocked it with ease. Kuyou slashed her across the face and shoulder with one of his blazing tails, throwing her against the wall he'd just come from.

"Weak," Kuyou sighed in disappointment. He walked toward the girl with his tails creating an arch above his head. Fire poured off of the tips of each one, collecting to form one massive ball of flame, like a miniature blue sun. "This is because you decided to play nice with some half blood weakling. Now burn in hell for your stupidity."

Suddenly, an enormous aura filled the room. An aura like nothing anyone there had felt before. Kuyou turned slowly towards the source, the miniature sun fading out of existence.

"Danny Fenton…" Kuyou whispered.

Danny had risen back to his feet, white smoke fuming off of him. A swirl of massive energy poured off the boy. His body began to change, but it was not the normal rings that transformed him. His black hair drained of color and became snowy white and his skin turned a darker hue. His pants turned black and his shoes turned silver, though his normal black jumpsuit was absent. Last of all the dull light that normally covered his body now glowed far brighter, wrapping him in a silvery corona.

"What the hell is happening?" Kuyou roared, his voice cracking. "You should be dead!"

Kuyou would never admit it to anyone, but for perhaps the first time in his life, he was scared. The aura resonating from the halfa was even more powerful than his own, and it was like nothing the Commission leader had experienced before. It was not a demonic aura, Kuyou had faced that hundreds of times over when someone's demonic aura had pushed against his, only to be forced back down by his own fiery energy. But this, this aura seeped into his body like water. It couldn't be pushed back, it engulfed him, like drowning in a frozen sea. It was cold, it was…_haunting…_

"Here we have the third problem," Moka growled as she grabbed Kuyou from behind. "It is impossible to determine just what is happening inside of Danny's body right now."

"Damn you…" Kuyou growled before Moka squeezed the man with all her strength, forcing the fire demon to cough up blood.

"Danny!" Moka called to the ghost boy. "Come at me _now!!_ Lend me your strength!"

"Moka…" the halfa whispered clutching his head.

"Danny?" Moka gasped in surprise. "_How can he still be in control?! He should be running on pure instinct…_"

The boy's eyes opened, shining bright green. But they were not his normal eyes. They held with them a slitted pupil, like the eyes of a vampire.

"…_move._"

Moka obeyed the halfa's command. She had no idea what Danny was about to do, but she knew she didn't want to be in his path.

"Don't underestimate me you bastards!" Kuyou growled through his bloody lips. "I am the god of this academy! _None of you are my equals!!!_"

"Shut up…" Danny said simply and charged.

The attack moved with such speed that not even Moka was able to follow it. The halfa's glowing green fist struck Kuyou's stomach with such force that it felt like a tremendous thunderclap had erupted in the room. Rings of green light burst from the point of impact as Kuyou collapsed over Danny's fist before he was sent flying.

The room exploded with dirt as Kuyou hit the ceiling. Everyone shielded their eyes from the wind and smoke as it poured toward them. As it slowly began to die down, the onlookers could see light shining inside. They all strained their sight to see through the fading dust. When the cloud had settled, everyone was stunned to see that Kuyou had been sent flying all the way to the surface, through three solid floors of earth and steel. Danny looked up at the massive hole, his wounds almost completely healed and a weary smile on his face.

"Hey guys," he said calmly as his body slowly changed back to its human form. "I just thought of our next headline. 'Kuyou Gets Burned'…"

Moka smiled lightly. "I like it…"

"Thanks," he said smiling back at her. "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna pass out now…"

All the girls rushed toward him as his knees buckled. Before they had reached him, someone blurred past them and caught the ghost boy safely in his arms.

"It figures," Gin sighed, grinning down at the halfa. "Here I came to save the day and you still show me up."

Danny returned the werewolf's tired smile. "Maybe if you were better at it I wouldn't have to." His wit and strength exhausted, Danny faded off to sleep.

All the girls were smiling as they gathered around the boys. "So is Danny going to be okay?" Kurumu asked Moka.

"Physically, fine," the vampire replied clutching her injured shoulder. "But I have to say, that strange aura has me curious. I've never felt anything like it. But I think that is best saved for another day…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Holy shit!" one of the prisoners screamed as something crashed through the floor right next to him. Everyone in the cell was choking on dirt and smoke after the thundering crash. The entire dungeon was in a state of panic.

"What the hell was that?!" someone shouted from below. The first prisoner was surprised to see a gaping hole in the floor. He looked up to see another above his head. What could have been strong enough to rip through three levels of prison cells?!

"It looks like…" the first student called back, squinting through the dust. His eyes grew to the size of saucers when he saw what had been thrown through his floor. "…Kuyou?!"

"Figures," another voice yelled from below. "He must have been so angry about those intruders that he ."

"No!" the first prisoner called again. "Kuyou's the one that got beaten!"

"_WHAT?!!_" almost every prisoner exclaimed at once.

Those who could, rushed to see Kuyou. The Commission leader appeared to be in mid-transformation. Some would recognize it as a rarely seen ultimate form that certain elite monsters could use. But what was most incredible was the shape Kuyou was in.

There was a bloody mark in the center of the man's gut. He would have bled out if the wound hadn't seemed to cauterize. The commission leader seemed to have several broken bones. Worst of all was his back. Whether it was done by crashing through the floors or the one who had attacked him, Kuyou's spine appeared to be twisted in a sickening shape, almost like he'd been broken in half.

"Who the hell could do that to _him?!_"

"Hey look down there," someone said pointing to the bottom floor. "Who is that?"

At the bottom of the new crater was a lone man with white hair. His shirt was gone and his tanned skin seemed to glow with a slowly fading light. As the prisoners looked down at him curiously, color seemed to wash back into his white hair as it became black. The last of the light dimmed and the boy's tanned skin became lighter.

"Wait a second," someone yelled in astonishment. "That's Danny Fenton!"

"The American?"

"Man he even beat Kuyou? That guy really is unreal…"

"I don't know about you guys," the first prisoner yelled down at the others as he climbed towards the roof into the open air. "But I'm getting out of here while the getting's good…"

There was a brief pause as everyone looked at each other in realization before they scrambled for freedom.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I guess I'll accept this one as my loss," Ishigami smiled to herself blissfully as she walked away from the Public Safety Commission Headquarters. "Youkai Academy Newspaper Club… Let's play together again sometime…"

* * *

There you have it, Danny _is_ getting a shot of vampire blood! For those of you who wanted to see it, high five! For those of you who didn't, stick with me, I think I can change your minds. You might think I'm just copying the manga but this is actually where things start getting original. That's right everybody, you've been asking and the time has come, my first original chapter starts next! Admittedly the badguy and his motives haven't changed, but let's face it I can't change _everything_. But I promise everything will start making sense very soon. Now...reviews!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers.

**Ultimate-Zelda-fan:** Sorry dude, like I always say, no spoilers.

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom:** Sorry to have to say this so often, but I don't do spoilers.

**Aryashi:** I'm glad you liked Gin's first fight. He's still not a major character but I plan on giving him a few more fights than the manga. Sorry if you don't like the vampire blood injection, but like I said, I think I can change your mind. Admit it, it's already different from what you expected right? I can understand your point, but give it a chance. And no, you're not annoying me.

**Robby Cartwright:** Well wait no more. Or wait even more, whichever. Anyway if you want a list of Danny's powers from the show, try the Danny Phantom wikia.

**S. Knightshade:** If you want to find out what will happen with Danny having Moka's blood you'll just have to keep reading. Thanks for the suggestion on the kuang shi. Can't guarantee I'll use it but I like knowing my options. Appreciate it.

**Okami Princess:** Well Danny has the vampire blood! Why don't we see where it takes us?

**thepenultimatefailure:** You're not rambling, you actually touched on some of the plot points! I promise Danny getting this infusion was not cliched, _there is purpose!_ If you look at some of the prior chapters you might see where I've hinted at future issues. Sorry if you're disappointed about the results but don't give up on me.

**Ecto Soldier:** PWNED!!! Sorry, you said it first, I just couldn't resist. Don't worry, if you want to use the nosebleed joke then help yourself. I just thought it was funny that you used it too and wanted to touch on that. If the 'one with the fanclubs' you mentioned was the three guys who were obsessed with Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari, I couldn't really work that in to mine. The three of them would come after Danny, he'd chase them off with ghost rays up the ass and that would be the end of it. Sorry if you wanted to see that just couldn't find a way to work it in.

**Lord Darken:** Favorite fanfic?! *giggles madly* Glad you like it so much. As I said at the beginning, I don't do spoilers so I can't answer your questions. Just make sure this story stays your favorite. _Please?_

That's it for this week everybody. Like I said, you aren't gonna wan't to miss the next several chapters. **_I'm only four reviews away from 100!!!_** Thank you all my loyal readers and thank you to all the readers who are joining the group. I have only one more question before I leave... Who thought Danny was gonna headbutt him when he got the blood? Huh? Show of hands, you know who you are...


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or Rosario+Vampire or anything else I reference.**

Yeah, I know I said I wasn't gonna say that again, but I'm running out of things to say before each chapter.

* * *

"_YEEEEEHAWWWW!!!_"

"Danny, slow down!" Kurumu panted, flapping her wings hard to keep up with the ghost boy who was rocketing through the sky.

It was the day after the incident with the Public Safety Commission and everyone had come out of it relatively fine. Gin had been injured worst and he was barely limping. Danny actually seemed to be great, if his giddy behavior was any indication. When he had shown up at Kurumu's dorm room and asked if she wanted to go for a midnight flight, the bluenette nearly squealed with glee. Problem was she had been expecting a romantic glide. What she got was more or less a race that she had lost five times over.

"Sorry," Danny repeated for the fourth time that night as he floated back to the tired succubus.

"What is with you today?" she giggled, unable to stay aggravated at the halfa. "You slept a good 24 hours after the fight and now you're zipping around like you're late for your sister's wedding or something…"

"Oh crap, was that today?!" Danny gasped in mock worry, earning another laugh from the girl.

"Seriously though," Kurumu asked intently. She wanted to be sure he was alright and not trying to play things off.

"I'm fine Kurumu," Danny said with a warm smile. "I can't really explain it, I just feel…supercharged."

"Moka said you should have used up all her power," the bluenette replied slightly worried. "I hope it's not causing some kind of problem for you."

"If it is the cause, it sure isn't a problem," Danny chuckled before doing a triple backflip and floating back again. "I can honestly say I've never felt better. Come on, I'll race you to the gym roof."

"Danny…!" Kurumu whined as the halfa was about to rocket away. "I can't keep up with you at the rate you're going. Can't we just take it slow?"

Danny looked thoughtfully at the girl. "Well I'm too energized to go slow. But if you really want to stay with me…" he gave her a devious look before he zipped behind her and picked her up bridal style. "…I could carry you…"

"Danny!" Kurumu blushed at the boy's forwardness. She was used to being the one who made the first move. Hell, she made _all_ the moves. Before she could say another word the boy was off. Rather than heading for the gym he chose to shoot straight up. The succubus hugged the boy tightly as they flew higher and faster than she'd ever gone before.

Danny slowed down once they had gone high into the sky. The succubus gasped at the scene. The ground seemed miles away and the moon seemed close enough to touch. She cuddled closer to Danny, happy to share the beautiful sight with him.

"I wanted to say thank you Kurumu," he said suddenly serious, surprising the succubus. "I heard about how you stuck up for me even though you weren't sure whether I was a human or not."

"I knew you weren't _just_ a human…" she admitted, her blush deepening.

"But all things considered, you weren't sure," he finished for her.

Kurumu nodded slightly. They paused for a moment before a question formed on the girl's lips. "Danny, Moka knew that you were half human, why didn't you tell the rest of us?"

"You mean why didn't I tell you?" the halfa asked, and again the succubus nodded in embarrassment. "When Moka and I first met, she had said she hated humans, and I had to know what that meant for me. She was the only friend I had in the academy, and I was completely new to the demon world, so I told her," Danny explained. "Don't think for a second that I was hiding it from you because of a lack of trust. You just never asked…"

Kurumu just stared at the halfa in complete shock. After a few silent moments the girl burst with laughter at how obvious it was. Here she had thought that Danny trusted Moka more than her, when the simple fact of the matter was she hadn't bothered to find out more about him. "I'm such an idiot," she continued to giggle.

"Maybe a little," Danny joked getting a pout from the bluenette before he gave her a bright smile. "But I wouldn't change you for the world…"

Kurumu turned crimson as he rested his head gently against her bangs.

XXXXXXXXXX

About 2000 feet down and 600 feet south three girls had just been let out of a late night gymnastics practice. There was one with black hair, one was blonde, and the last was an exceptionally pretty girl with dark red hair. Not surprisingly, they quickly turned to gossip about the school.

"Hey, did you hear about Kuyou?" the red head asked her friends mischievously.

"That scary guy who leads the Public Safety Commission?" the black haired girl asked quivering slightly. "Who'd he arrest this time?"

"The wrong guy apparently," the red head giggled dreamily. "He got beaten up!"

The girls had been passing the weight room where a lone man was doing bench presses. When he heard the girl's claim he went rigid with shock, nearly dropping over 400 pounds on his head. The enormous student rushed to the door to hear more.

"No way!" the black haired girl gasped in disbelief. "Who could take someone as crazy strong as Kuyou?"

"You really want to know?" the blonde asked earning nods from the girls and the man hiding behind the door. "It was Danny Fenton!"

All the girls let out a high pitched squeal. "No wonder you knew. You've been crushing on that guy ever since he saved you from being a lawn ornament Ayame," the blonde smirked.

"Can you blame me?" Ayame practically swooned. "He's cute, sweet, and he's the toughest guy in school!"

"Who are you calling the toughest guy in school?!" the man growled to himself, squeezing the doorframe so tight that it broke into a thousand splinters.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Dan-_nyyyy_…" Kurumu cooed seductively as she entered the classroom. She had missed the halfa that morning before school so she was looking forward to seeing him at the club meeting.

"He's not here," Moka huffed, clearly annoyed at something.

"Well where is he?" Kurumu asked.

"I don't know," the vampire growled, steam practically fuming from her ears. "I talked to him after class and he says he has to 'do something with Mizore'."

"Mizore…?" Kurumu looked curious before a look of horror crossed her face and she let out a long loud wail of despair.

"Kurumu, what's wrong?" Moka blinked.

"Don't you get it?" she replied. "He's going down the list!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So that's how you beat me you cheater!" Mizore laughed as Danny skipped a glowing green rock across the lake.

"You call it cheating, I call it using your resources," Danny smiled back. "When _you_ get telekinesis, you can skip a rock all the way across a pond. Like this…" He picked up a large stone that he needed two hands to carry. The stone began to glow with a dull green light before he tossed it. The massive rock that would normally never skip over the water jumped several times until it reached the opposite shore. Mizore applauded and Danny took several bows. He was panting slightly from the strain of the rock. Normally he coludn't lift anything heavier than a textbook without tiring himself out.

"Not bad," the snow woman smiled. She stared at the halfa as he looked back out over the pond. Since Danny's uniform had been incinerated two days before, he was forced to wear his normal clothes to school. He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt with a long-sleeve unbuttoned khaki shirt over it.

"I like your new outfit," the snow woman flushed. "The school isn't strict about the dress code, maybe you should where that all the time."

"Thanks," Danny smiled back at her. "I might do that. After everything that's happened, I just wanted to try something new…"

"Well it works," she grinned, her sparkling eyes gazing at him so intently that the two barely noticed the dark form that appeared behind Danny.

"Your back is wide open pipsqueak," a voice growled as a man's massive arms cast a shadow over the halfa's head.

Mizore's eyes turned into a fierce glare as she rushed past Danny without a moment's hesitation. The ghost boy turned as she ran by and saw an explosion of ice burst from her sleeve and a man falling backwards with a grunt.

"You even think about hurting Danny and I'll bury you under a mountain of ice," the girl said protectively standing in front of the hybrid.

"You little bitch. I was only showing the guy he was open to an attack," the man growled as Danny looked him over. Whoever he was, he was HUGE! Even down on a knee he was taller than Danny who already stood 5 foot 9. He had messy orange hair and bushy black eyebrows that sat over a pair of equally black eyes. The man obviously lifted weights. He was well built and muscular and his gym clothes were a good indication. That, and he was carrying around a pair of dumbbells.

"Sorry about that," Danny smiled, putting a hand on Mizore's shoulder to try and calm her down.

"Whatever," the man growled rising to his full height that could give Danny's dad a run for his money. "Just know that the next time I find you with your guard down, I'm puttin' you in a cobra twist, got it?"

"And you are…?" Danny asked calmly before Mizore could return the threat.

"Rikiishi Chopper, the toughest guy in the Pro Wrestling Club," the large student proclaimed proudly. "And I got a bone to pick with you…"

"And what would that be?" Mizore growled.

Chopper glared at her before he continued. "I've been planning on fighting that chump Kuyou for quite awhile now, and from what I've heard you went and stole the chance from me!" the man roared. "If I had defeated him, my strength would have gone up another level. Now when it looks like I've found someone who's supposed to be stronger, I find out he's some scrawny little wuss who lets a girl do all his fighting for him!"

"Hey! I'm not scrawny," Danny blushed at the thought of comparing his muscles to the other boys. "Excuse me for not making steroids part of my daily balanced breakfast."

"And Danny can take care of himself just fine," Mizore added.

"Then prove it!" the wrestler shouted aiming a powerful karate chop at the halfa.

Once again, before Danny could do anything a surge of ice blocked Chopper from reaching him. The large students arm crashed into the frosted pillar, shattering it. Just as he turned toward the ghost boy, there was a flash of white light before a silver boot slammed into his chin, knocking him to the ground so hard he could swear he heard music from somewhere. By the time he had recovered, Chopper was alone…

"Danny, why didn't you beat him up?" Mizore asked.

"I don't have to prove a thing to chumps like that anymore," Danny said as he flew through the trees, the snow woman in his arms. "Besides that guy may act like a badass, but he was nothing but a poser."

"True…" Mizore agreed, relaxing and enjoying being carried in the halfa's strong embrace.

Danny blushed as the normally distant girl made herself comfortable in his arms. "But there is one thing he mentioned I've been wanting to talk to you about."

"If it's about me fighting your battles, you know I never meant to do that," the girl said with a solemn look.

"Oh, it's not. Well, not exactly," Danny quickly corrected himself before the girl went on the defensive. "What I mean is you were incredible in the fight with Kuyou."

"I couldn't do anything…" she replied, her face falling at the memory of being so helpless.

"Exactly!" Danny smiled earning a curious look from Mizore. He slowed to a stop and hesitantly put the girl down. "Mizore, you were incredible because Kuyou was someone who hurt you just by being in the same room as him. Despite that, you still got up and fought. You fought for _me…_"

"You did the same for me…" she said looking down at the ground, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"Me fighting Kotsubo is not the same and you know it," he said.

"Maybe…" she trailed off.

"Mizore…" Danny said cupping her chin with his fingers and forcing her to look him in the eye. The girl blushed as his vibrant glowing green eyes turned into a no less stunning bright blue. "Thank you…"

XXXXXXXXXX

The first thing Mizore saw when she opened the classroom door was a very angry succubus. The second thing she noticed was a vampire who had an unusually aggravated look as well. The third thing she saw was a young witch whose cheeks were puffed out angrily like a bullfrog.

"Alright, what happened between you and Danny?" Kurumu asked accusingly.

The already blushing snow woman turned a deeper shade of crimson.

"NOOOOO!" Yukari wailed and went off to sulk in a corner.

"I want you to tell me everything that happened, word for word," Kurumu growled.

"I don't see why I should…" Mizore retorted regaining a bit of her icy demeanor. It was short lived however as the glares Kurumu and Moka gave her shattered even her resolve.

"Hey," Gin said hesitantly as he entered the room. He could feel the tension pouring off the three girls in waves. "What's going on…?"

"We were just asking Mizore where Danny is," Moka smiled sweetly but there was death in her eyes when she turned back to the snow woman.

"Good question," Gin said looking around the room. "For that matter, where's Yukari?"

"WHAT?!" all three girls exclaimed looking for the witch.

"Oh no!" Kurumu cried. "Not her too…!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Weeeeeeee!" Yukari cheered as Danny carried her through the air on his shoulders.

"Having fun?" the halfa asked, playfully swerving back and forth to make it more exciting.

"Yeah," the young witch threw her hands in the air as he turned back and forth. She had never flown before. She hadn't learned any flight spells and there had never been any reason for her to be carried by Danny or Kurumu like this so the girl was thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Well hang on!" he called slowly descending before going into an all out nosedive. The little witch screamed as they plunged toward the ground at high speed. They got closer and closer…the young genius knew Danny wouldn't be able to pull up in time. She hugged his neck tightly as they hit the ground…

"You meanie!!" Yukari cried beating her small fists on the halfa's head as they phased safely back out of the earth.

"Oh come on," Danny teased the girl as he returned to his human form. "You're brave enough to stand up to Kuyou and _that_ scared you?"

Yukari jumped off the boy's shoulders. She turned back to argue but stopped cold. Yukari turned beet red when he smiled down at her. The young witch had no idea what it was, but something about the American was different, and not just his clothes. She'd never seen the boy look so…_cool_.

"What, no witty comeback?" Danny chuckled at the witch's stunned look, completely oblivious to the reasons behind it.

"I-didn't do anything against Kuyou," Yukari said quickly. She hated to admit to it but she really hadn't done anything when the girls had raced to save Danny except drop an occasional metal tub on a guard's head.

"You know Mizore said the same thing," Danny said crouching to look the girl in the eye. "The fact is Yukari that none of us did much to beat that guy. We all got our butts handed to us, _especially _me_._ We got lucky. But it doesn't change that despite all your fear, all your lack of experience, and most of all, the impossible odds, you still came to save me and you never once backed down. If you hadn't done that long list of _somethings, _I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Really?" Yukari asked in disbelief.

"Really…" Danny gave her an honest smile before the young witch threw her thankful arms around his neck and hugged the boy tightly.

"There you are!"

Danny sighed as a massive shadow cast over him for the second time that day. "_Great…_" He turned around, Yukari still held firmly against his chest, to see the oversized Pro Wrestling Club member. "What do you want Choppy?"

"You really are a pansy, you know that?" the towering student spat. "First you steal my opponent. Then you've got a girl fighting your battles for you. Next you hit me with a cheap shot. And finally_, you run off like a frightened little bitch!_ A real man would never sink so low!"

"In this order," Danny huffed as he climbed to his feet. "Kuyou came after me, I just survived our little get together. Mizore wasn't fighting _for_ me, she was just quicker on the draw. In regards to that 'cheap shot' as you called it, you're the one who said the next time my back was open you were putting me in whatever the hell a cobra twist is. Can't help but notice that didn't happen by the way… And last but not least, I didn't run, I _left_ because you aren't worth my time you muscle-brained stack of crap. Any questions?"

Chopper was fuming. Not only had the little twerp had an excuse for everything, they actually made _sense_. And to top it off, _THE LITTLE BASTARD WAS INSULTING HIM IN FRONT OF SOME DORKY LITTLE KID THAT WAS LAUGHING AT HIM! __**HIM, **_the toughest guy in his club-no, _THE SCHOOL!!_

"I'm gonna waste you, _you_ _twerp!_" the wrestler roared throwing down a vicious karate chop just like before.

There was no shield of ice this time. Danny simply grinned and jumped backwards, easily dodging the blow. The ground shook and dirt was sent flying by the powerful strike, but Danny just sat there smugly, still holding a giggling Yukari until the dust settled. Chopper was breathing hard, not from effort but from rage. He was about to strike again when Danny threw out a hand that halted the wrestler.

"Sorry, still not feeling it," Danny said sweeping some dirt off his shoulder and off of Yukari. "You said you were from the Pro Wrestling Club, right?"

"Yeah…" Chopper growled in annoyance.

"Well you can't hit what you can't see Mr. Pro," Danny grinned before waving a hand back and forth in front of his face. "And you can't…see…me…"

With that, the boy and girl faded from sight leaving a very confused and _very _pissed off Chopper.

"_FENTOOOOON!!!_"

XXXXXXXXXX

The moment Yukari opened the door she regretted coming back. She squeaked in fear as a hand dragged her inside and pinned her against a wall. Two angry sets of eyes stared her down, their owners both wearing matching smiles of sadistic glee.

"Now you're going to tell us what you did with Danny…" Kurumu said darkly.

"If you don't, we're gonna use your bones as a scratching post…" Mizore seethed, an icy claw slowly rising from her sleeve.

"Don't you both think you're getting a little carried away?" Moka chuckled nervously.

"_CAN IT!!!_" Kurumu and Mizore roared, instantly silencing the girl. The two turned back toward Yukari, silently whispering threats that had the poor witch trembling. The next thing Moka knew, a note was floating in front of her face. The vampire looked at the paper curiously before picking it from the air and opening it:

**Gin will distract them.**

**Meet me on the roof in five.**

**-Danny**

Moka looked over at the club president who had been watching the events unfold with amusement. With a twitch the werewolf went rigid, the telltale sign of one of Danny's lesser used powers at work. The young man stood and walked over to the girls, a dull light in his eye you would only notice if you were looking for it.

Gin's overshadowed body picked up Kurumu and Mizore in a tight hug. "Now come on you two, we don't know that she was even with Danny. Shouldn't you both calm down?"

Both girls turned on him, an angry glint in their eyes. "Who said you could touch us?" Mizore hissed.

Danny grunted as the snow woman drove her fist into Gin's nose, the experience every bit as painful for him as it was the werewolf. Soon as he had dropped them, Kurumu stomped her foot down on his own earning a pained squeal.

"_Is this what it's like for Gin all the time?! I almost feel sorry for him,_" Danny thought as he hopped around on his good foot, blood streaming from his nose. He just barely managed to see Moka slipping out the door while the other girls were focused on 'Gin'. Danny fled the body immediately leaving a very sore and very confused club president.

"Wh-what…?" Gin said trying to figure out what was happening. He never got the chance as Kurumu and Mizore kicked the boy in the face so hard that he crashed through the teacher's desk. The two girls gave each other a quick high-five as the unconscious second year lay on the ground twitching.

"_Ouch…sorry Gin,_" Danny grinned before flying toward the roof to meet Moka.

XXXXXXXXXX

Only someone else had beat him there.

"Oh come _on!_" Danny growled as he dodged his third karate chop of the day. "How the hell do you keep finding me anyway? You don't even look smart enough to tie your own shoes…"

"Hey, those knots are hard!" Chopper shot back throwing a punch that Danny ducked. "This is more like it. Now you've got nowhere to run you little bastard."

Danny let out a loud, aggravated grunt as he put some distance between them. "I already told you, you're wasting both our time here. I KO'd Kuyou and you're less than a tenth intimidating."

"THAT DOES IT!!" Chopper roared as his demonic aura spiked. Danny's ghost sense went off as the already enormous teen doubled in size. His muscular frame hunched forward and his skin became bright yellow. The large student's shirt ripped away revealing a very veiny chest and arms. Fangs grew behind Chopper's lips. Two small black horns popped out of his forehead as well as orange spikes that matched the color of his hair and went in a row from the center of his head to the center of his back like a strange Mohawk.

"Well that's…grotesque…" Danny cringed at the large creature that smiled an ugly grin.

"Still think you're hot stuff?" Chopper laughed viciously. "The bell's rung! Now show me _your_ true form and we'll see who the strongest man is!"

Danny grinned widely at the monsters and uttered three simple words:

"Nope, I'm good…"

"Wha…?" Chopper exclaimed, an angry twitch in his eye. He raised his massive arm to deliver yet another crushing chop. "QUIT SCREWING WITH ME!!!"

Danny jumped away, easily dodging the attack. It was extremely strong, but the speed was slow enough that even in his human form, the move was easily countered.

"_This is awesome,_" Danny thought as he sidestepped blow after blow from the enormous beast. "_I had to run away from Dash Baxter and now I'm rope-a-doping a troll. Did my human form get stronger too?_"

"DAMMIT" *CRASH* "HOLD" *SMASH* "STILL" *BASH* Chopper roared with each failed strike as the American nimbly avoided each one.

"Why?" *SLAM* "Should?" *BAM* "I?" *WHAM* Danny mocked.

"Danny? What's going on?" Moka asked worriedly as she burst through the door to the surprise of the two men. Danny had been enjoying his newfound abilities so much he'd forgotten about her.

"Moka run!" Danny shouted an instant too late. The troll reached out and grabbed the girl in his massive hand and lifted her like a doll. "_MOKA!!_"

"Well this is convenient. I was getting really pissed at your lack of fighting spirit," he chuckled darkly placing his thumb (which was bigger than Moka's skull) under the girl's chin. "So here's the deal, you show me your true form and fight for real right now, or I pop this girl's pretty head clean o-_AHHHH!!!_"

Chopper roared in pain as a green light burned into his wrist. The man dropped Moka as he grabbed the injury. In a flash Danny had sped past the beast and carried Moka to the other side of the roof.

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her in concern.

"I'm fine," she blushed at the increasingly familiar position.

"Sorry about this," Danny sighed. "When I invited you up here I wasn't expecting this guy to show up. He's been following me around all day looking for a fight."

"_**Then why haven't you beaten him yet?**_"

Danny and Moka looked down at the now glowing cross the girl wore.

"I'm not some schoolyard bully who's gonna beat up every guy that looks at me wrong," Danny protested. "I can beat this guy with my arms tied behind my back so why should I waste my time?"

There was a strange chuckle from the silver seal. "_**Do you think you're better than me Danny?**_"

"What?" Danny gaped, unable to comprehend why the sealed vampire would think such a thing. "No, of course not…"

"_**Then why would you ignore such a challenge?**_" the cross continued. "_**How many enemies have I defeated that were unworthy as my opponents? And it was not always because I was in danger. It was so they would never be foolish enough to challenge me again. So surely you must think yourself to be so great that no one should face you…**_" Danny could just picture her condescending smile from the tone of her musical voice. "_**Foolish boy… Know your place.**_"

Danny couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Even when Chopper had shown his true form Danny had seen this as nothing more than some local jock trying to prove how tough he was. Danny had seen enough bullies in his time that he knew he didn't want to become one. He thought if he showed the wrestler that he was wasting his time then he would run off with his tail between his legs.

"_But that's not how it works here,_" Danny thought as realization sank in. "_If they don't get what they want they go after what you care about until they do…_"

"Forget I was here you little shit?" Chopper laughed as his hand came crashing down on the pair. "That's what you get for ignoring me!" He roared as the dust settled around him. Once it cleared, he was surprised to find his hand resting on a solid green dome.

"Back off," Danny growled as his shield expanded, pushing the troll back.

"Finally got some fighting spirit eh?" Chopper smiled hungrily. "About time. But a real man doesn't use such cowardly tricks as that."

"No, a _real_ man doesn't threaten innocent girls to get what he wants," Danny replied putting Moka down. He's eyes flashed neon green as he stared the monster down. "I'm gonna show you how a _real _man treats people who threaten his friends."

Danny charged forward, a white ring appearing in front of him. As he ran through it, he was changed instantly into his ghostly form. Chopper was stunned by the sudden change. Danny's fist glowed with bright green energy as he delivered a powerful punch to the monsters gut that knocked the wind out him.

"Danny's aura is completely different," Moka thought as she watched the halfa's assault. Even though the other Moka had been in control, she remembered what it had felt like. The strange energy had frightened her with its incredible power that engulfed them all.

But this was different. The energy was not nearly as overwhelming. She could still feel the aura all over her, but she wasn't drowning in it like before. In fact, it was actually comforting, almost like someone had a protective hand on the girl's shoulder.

"_**I'm not so sure,**_" the cross said, equally interested. "_**It's definitely not as strong, but that's to be expected having used all the energy from our blood. But from the look on that troll's face, it is affecting him in the same way all of us were affected before…**_"

"But then why isn't it affecting us like that now?" Moka asked confused. "It feels…_good._ Does a person's aura affect different people in different ways?"

"_**It's possible,**_" the seal explained. "_**For all intensive purposes, a person's energy is a tool. Depending on the user's intentions, an aura can affect everyone differently. But I can't believe that he already has this much control…**_"

"You little-" Chopper started but was cut off as Danny grabbed his scaly throat.

"You've been talking trash all day and for once _I'm _the one that's sick of it," Danny said as his normal white glow was replaced by a green one. Chopper twitched violently as spectral electricity poured into his body. Danny's ghost stinger continued to shock the beast as the halfa carried him high into the air.

Chopper hung limply in Danny's grip as the electricity finally ended its torment. He tried to say something intimidating and keep up his façade of being the strongest, but the ghost boy's hand prevented any words from forming.

"I could live with the attacks on me, but when you went after Moka, you dug your own grave," Danny growled. His haunting aura seeped into every pore of the troll as his eyes became a pure green glow, completely devoid of features. "To quote a friend of mine… _Know your place!"_

With that Danny charged toward the ground with Chopper in tow. Moka watched as they sped past the roof and toward the empty courtyard. The instant before they crashed, Danny swung the troll in front of him by the creature's throat, slamming the massive beast into the earth with a thundering crash.

"I can see why you like saying that so much. It's got a really good feel to it," Danny said returning to a smiling Moka.

"Danny that was awesome!" Moka cheered running up and hugging the boy.

"_**Most impressive. It seems you have adapted to your newfound strength quite well,**_" the cross said.

"I owe you guys for that," Danny replied seriously.

"What do you mean?"

"You guys are the whole reason I'm still here," Danny said with a thankful smile. "If it wasn't for you, I'd have had my status downgraded to full ghost."

"So you're not mad or worried that we injected our blood in you? I mean your powers seem to be acting different…" Moka said nervously.

"Are you kidding?" Danny chuckled. "If I got scared every time something weird happened with my powers, I'd have gone insane by now. I might be a little curious, but from what you two told me I'm not turning into some human/ghost/vampire/whatchamacallit, so why worry? Now I'll say it again…thanks."

"_**So this is what you've been doing with the other girls all day? Thanking them…?**_" the sealed vampire asked impatiently.

"Well, yeah. Why?" Danny asked before a devilish smirk came to his face. "Are you jealous?"

"_**NO!!**_" both the girl and the cross exclaimed. Moka had turned bright red. Even the cross seemed to glow a bit pinker.

"_**Stupid ghost… Why would I care what some half-human fool like you does?!**_"

"I dunno, you tell me…" Danny smirked at the cross. "Let me guess…know my place?"

The cross growled in frustration before the light faded and the inner vampire retreated back into the recesses of the girl's mind.

"And I suppose you don't care what I do either right?" Danny raised an eyebrow that made Moka turn redder.

"Danny…" Moka whispered as she drew nearer making the ghost boy blush as well.

"Moka…" Danny said in surprise as she neared, looking back into her beautiful green eyes.

"Aha!" Kurumu yelled as the girls burst through the door. Danny and Moka were both floored.

"Sorry… I couldn't keep them busy any longer." Yukari blushed nervously before looking at the results of Chopper's failed game of Whack-a-Danny. "What happened here?"

"Yeah, what have you been doing with Danny?" Kurumu said with murder in her eyes.

"Jeez, what is with you guys? You were grilling Mizore like this when I swiped Yukari."

"Well what did you think was going to happen?" Mizore asked in an annoyed tone.

Danny sighed in disappointment. "I expected you all to trust each other. And me. You guys are all friends, if you're gonna act like I'm cheating on you every time I'm alone with one of the others then maybe we need to rethink this whole situation. I can't be with anyone who doesn't trust me."

The girls all looked at each other nervously when they heard the seriousness in the halfa's voice. It was obvious what they all were thinking and they bowed in unison.

"We're sorry…" the girls said together.

"Well good," Danny smiled. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I'm gonna split before I get any more unwanted publicity." With that, he phased through the floor leaving the girls alone on the roof.

"So…" Kurumu chimed after the halfa had disappeared. "What _did_ you do with Danny?"

"What about you?" Moka countered with a glare. "Apparently he went to see you first."

"Yeah!" Yukari pressed, jumping angrily up and down.

"Not now kid, the big girls are talking," Mizore said stepping in front of the young witch.

"Hey Danny took _me _out too!"

Unknown to the four arguing girls Danny's invisible head was watching them as it peaked through the floor.

"Good grief…"

* * *

Man that was a long one. Hope you guys enjoyed it, this was my first real attempt at romance that wasn't already in the manga so let me know how I did. And I had to use one of those annoying little scenes Moka always had with Tsukune at least once. So do you like Danny's new outfit? I kinda wanted to upgrade from the plain white tee with the red dot that means absolutely nothing. Anyway it's bonus time! Since Chopper (can't imagine where his name came from can you?) is from the Pro Wrestling Club, I threw in a few wrestling references. Points to anyone who finds all three. By the way, someone asked me a question that I just figured I'd answer for everybody in case you were curious. I'm a guy. Now, reviews.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**FlaraShadowora:** Haven't decided whether Desiree will be in this story or not yet. Either way I like your idea. You're right, that would make a good chapter.

**isoulmani:** BWA HA HA HA HA *wrings hands maniacally* Hope that was enough. I added a few things and still gave you a few questions to ponder. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish my plans of world domination that involve radioactive mutant schnauzers. BWA HA HA HA HA HA!

**thepenultimatefailure:** Glad I'm convincing you. Yusuke Urameshi is a wise man. Sometimes. Anyway I hope the medicine is working.

**S. Knightshade:** It's cool that you wanted to know. I've been curious about some writers myself. The giggle you saw was just me trying to be funny, you know like a little girl who's embarrassed to get so much praise (I hope _that_ wasn't sexist). By the way, badassery is an _understatement_ for how cool that blood power would be. Still, as always, I can't do spoilers.

**Okami Princess:** *returns high-five* Glad you're so happy. If you can find someone to draw Danny that would be awesome. I'm new to deviantart so I don't really know where to look. Just be sure and tell me if you find one. Appreciate it.

**vamphantom:** Maybe. I really like Dani, but it'll be tricky to fit her into the story. I'll just have to see where the story takes me.

**xbusterz:** Oh I didn't forget about the ice powers, I know exactly how I'm gonna bring in Danny's other powers and the fire and ice thing wasn't what I had in mind. I can only assume you're making up the scythe. The one time Danny used one in the show was when he was being controlled by Freakshow and that was just a normal scythe.

**Ecto Soldier:** Oh, oh, please tell me! I promise I'll keep it to myself, just send me a private message. Can't wait to see your next chapter!

**kaji niken:** You're right, summer is coming up fast. Keep reading and you won't be dissappointed.

Well, now comes the bad news. With college back in session and my current work schedule, I don't think I'm gonna be able to update once a week. Don't get me wrong I'm still gonna try, but this may come to me having to update whenever possible. But I promise this much, I won't make you guys wait more than two weeks. Hopefully...


	15. Chapter 15

Welcome back everybody. Special credit to **S. Knightshade** who was the first one to find and name all my WWE references in the last chapter. Well done dude, well done...

* * *

"This is pathetic!" Deshiko Deshi spat as she threw open the doors of the Public Safety Commission Headquarters and stormed inside.

"Something wrong Deshiko?" a tall young man with short black hair and glasses asked in monotone.

"Quit acting all high and mighty Kuroi," the small red head shot back. "I know you're just as pissed as I am about the way things are going. Ever since that damn Newspaper Club took out Master Kuyou, we're losing all standing in this school."

Kuroi sighed in annoyance as he rubbed his head. "I'll admit you have a point. Even when we assert our authority they continue to defy us. It's only made worse since their '_hero_' Danny Fenton is president of his class and actually holds some standing in the student body. That worthless gang has given them all some backbone."

"So what do we do about it?" Deshiko growled dropping into a chair.

"We rip out the backbone …" the largest person in the room said as he stepped out of the shadows, a sadistic grin on his face. He was a tall muscular young man with shoulder length brown hair.

"Oh, oh, I like that idea," Deshiko giggled kicking her legs playfully as she leaned back in her chair.

"Indeed," Kuroi gave a nod of agreement. "We remove the so called saviours from the picture and the rest of the school will crumble before us once again. Simple yet efficient as always Ishi," the bespectacled man nodded at the taller one again.

"But sirs" one of the underlings interrupted, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "They have a werewolf and a vampire in their ranks. And whatever Fenton is, he defeated Master Kuyou. How can we possibly beat that?"

In an instant the boy was dangling in the air, held viciously by the throat in Kuroi's angry grip.

"Weak little coward!" Kuroi spat, an enraged look in his eye. "No one man is strong enough to beat Master Kuyou. You've believe those lies that group has been spreading?! He was outnumbered against the entire group! This time, we will have the numbers advantage and crush those scum underfoot."

"Yes-! Sir-!" the blonde wheezed as he struggled for air. "Forgive-! Me-!"

"Not likely," Kuroi growled. "We do not forgive weakness here…"

"O, can I have him?" Deshiko asked, sounding like a kid asking for a candy bar. "I haven't had lunch yet…"

"Very well," Kuroi tossed the boy in front of Deshiko. "After you are both ready, prepare your divisions to finish the Newspaper Club."

"Okay…" Deshiko giggled as she reached toward the boy at her feet, her hands glowing with ominous red light…

XXXXXXXXXX

"A summer trip?" Danny asked.

"That's right," Ms. Nekonome told her club members, her normal excitement currently in overdrive. "Since summer vacation starts in two weeks, I was thinking it would be fun to have a trip for the club!"

"Don't you think it would have been nice to mention that a little earlier? I mean, since some of us do live on a different continent and all…" Danny sighed.

"Yeah, and what about money?" Gin asked, the thought of paying from his own pocket was like a boot to the head, "We would have had to start fund raisers at the beginning of the semester."

"Well the school has already agreed to pay for the trip," the teacher cheered. "Something about 'payment for services rendered'…?"

Everyone gave each other mischievous grins at that comment.

"As for telling you earlier…" the cat woman continued. "I kind of forgot…"

Everyone hit the floor.

"Oh come on Danny," Moka urged. "Don't you think it will be fun?"

"Yeah…" Kurumu cooed pressing her massive breasts against the boy's arm. "Away from the school… Not a care in the world…"

"All alone…" Mizore continued with a blush as she stared at him from behind a nearby desk.

"It will be great!" Yukari added trying to sound seductive (and failing miserably).

Danny blushed as he looked back and forth between all the beautiful girls. "I dunno. Vacation's only about a month here and it takes two days just to fly between the countries."

"You can count me out…" Gin growled as he made for the door. "_They'll all just be dreaming about Danny even more than usual, even if he doesn't go._"

"Sorry guys I can't," Danny sighed in defeat as he followed Gin making all the girls whine.

"That's too bad…" Nekonome frowned as she started marking on a clipboard. "The beach won't be the same without you…"

"Beach?!" both boys froze in their tracks, mirror images reflecting in their minds. Images of Moka's cheerful smile as she ran over the sand in a revealing swimsuit, Kurumu's glorious breasts threatening to pop out of a tight bikini, Mizore's beautifully pale skin as she sunned herself in a skimpy two piece, even a cute little Yukari playing in the water passed through their minds.

"We're in!" the boys turned and declared, blood trickling from each of their noses.

"Really?" Nekonome perked up (ears and all).

"Yep," Danny said. "_I'd just spend half my time on the couch anyway…_"

"Absolutely," Gin agreed. "_So what if I can't make a move, THINK OF THE PICTURES!!!_"

"Yay!" the cat woman cheered. "I'll go get the signup sheets. Don't go away…"

"Danny's coming with us!" Yukari exalted as she hugged the ghost boy's waist.

"What made you change your mind?" Moka asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kurumu purred rubbing against his arm again. "He wants to see me in a swimsuit…"

"Danny you pervert," Gin sighed in a clearly overdramatic tone. "You should be ashamed of yo-"

Gin was silenced by an ice dart to the forehead. Mizore walked past the werewolf and began pulling on Danny's free arm. "Just remember Fido, Danny's the only one that gets to look."

"Besides, don't you have to take summer school that week?" Yukari asked mischeviously.

"What?!" Gin gasped as realization sank in. "No! WHYYYYYY?!"

"That means we've got you _alllllll_ to ourselves," Kurumu whispered in the ear of the blushing ghost boy.

"Lay off cow tits," Mizore said pulling Danny back toward her.

"Both of you lay off!" Yukari shouted as she hugged Danny's middle tighter.

"Would you all just give him room to breathe?" Moka insisted, pulling him from behind in an effort to free him from the other girls. The sudden yank caused Danny to lose his footing. He dropped to floor, pulling all the girls with him.

The hard crash to the floor was followed by several soft ones. Yukari, who was still hanging on the boy's waist, ended up in his lap. Mizore was thrown across his stomach, Kurumu ended up chest to chest, and Moka's breasts landed right on the boy's face.

"_Thank you…_" Danny thought in silent prayer as he smiled into Moka's soft bosom.

"Typical," said an annoyed voice from the doorway. "Such a shameless club."

Three students stood at the door, all dressed in a familiar black uniform. Gin sighed at the sight of them.

"Why Kuroi, it's so nice to see you," Gin said scratching his head. "To what do we owe the annoyance?"

"That should be obvious…" the black haired Commissioner replied. The other members of the club got to their feet as more minions of the Public Safety Commission filed their way inside. "Newspaper Club, we hereby place you all under arrest."

"Well it's about time!" Danny exclaimed. All the members of the Public Safety Commission hit the floor.

"What?!" Deshiko asked in clear shock.

"We always knew you Public Safety Creeps would come after us at some point," Kurumu explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Frankly, we were beginning to the think you were afraid of us," Mizore added, a hint of playfulness in her normal monotone.

Kuroi snarled with rage. "Why you-"

"Worthless scum, we know, we know…" the Newspaper Club all rolled their eyes in unison.

"W-well there's no place for you to go," Deshiko stuttered in fury.

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that cutie," Gin smiled at the red head before turning back to his club members. "Danny, escape plan 17 if you please."

Danny gave a mock salute and walked over to the outside wall. "Whatever you say, O Shameless Leader. Ladies, let me get the wall for you."

"Such a gentleman," Moka smiled as Danny placed his hand on the wall and concentrated. The black suits all went wide eyed as the wall took on a strange blue glow and became translucent. Their shock was only increased as Gin walked over and _through_ the wall. He was quickly followed by Moka, Mizore, and Kurumu.

"Bye-bye," Yukari giggled before following the others.

"Catch us if you can," Danny said with a wave before leaping through the wall, which instantly lost its blue glow.

"After them you idiots!" Kuroi shouted. All of the Commission members jumped and raced out of the room in pursuit.

"Here they are," Ms. Nekonome meowed as she entered the room. She blinked several times when she saw the empty classroom and stomped her foot in aggravation. "Darn it, I told you not to go away!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Escape plan 17? Are you serious?" Kurumu sighed as the Newspaper Club came to a stop in a large clearing in the woods.

"Yeah, the plan was always for Danny to make the wall intangible if they came after us," Moka agreed.

"Hey, he knew what I was talking about. Besides, now they think we had a whole bunch of scenarios planned out," Gin said with a grin.

"In other words you just wanted to sound cool…" Mizore said.

"Fat chance of that happening," Yukari giggled earning a glare from the werewolf.

"So you think they'll be able to find us?" Danny asked.

"Oh yeah," Gin scratched his head as he thought. "Kuroi has a nose like a bloodhound. There are plenty of other trackers in the Enforcers too."

"Well we knew Kuyou wouldn't be the end of it," Mizore said. "Guess we'll just have to take them all down once and for all."

"Yeah, but the question is how are we going to do it?" Gin thought aloud. "They may not be as strong as Kuyou but the PSC still has three of the Four Kings."

"Who?" the others asked in unison.

Gin sighed at his clubs ignorance. "The Four Kings: Kuyou, Kuroi, Deshiko, and Ishi. They're the four strongest members of the Enforcers. Kuroi is the guy with glasses who was barking orders."

"Deshiko is the red headed girl," Moka chimed in. "We saw her at their headquarters when Danny and I were arrested before."

"That's right," Gin nodded. "And Ishi is that really huge one that's never says anything."

"So what exactly does that mean?" Mizore asked.

"I just think we should have a plan before they get here," Gin replied.

"Good idea. They have a lot more manpower than us," Yukari agreed.

"But we've got a higher quality than they do," Danny added earning a bright smile from each girl and even a grin from Gin. "So what's the plan Mr. President? You know these guys better than the rest of us."

"Well first thing we should do is figure out who's taking on the Three Kings," Gin said.

"I'll take Deshiko," Moka said. She blushed when everyone stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Moka you do realize there will be _fighting_ involved, right?" Kurumu asked.

"_**Then to be more specific, I will take her…**_"

"Holy shit!" Gin exclaimed in shock as the girl's necklace began to glow.

"Now _that_ I can believe," Kurumu said, ignoring her club leader's surprise.

"Why her?" Danny asked curiously.

"_**She is a jiang shi…**_"

Danny just stared at the seal in confusion. "Meaning…"

"A Chinese vampire," the pink haired Moka explained.

"_**A pitiful imitation of the true race,**_" the cross scoffed. "_**They feed off a person's energy like a parasite. They do not have the strength or the superiority of a true vampire.**_"

"So this is a pride thing," Danny replied.

"A little bit," Moka said. "But Inner me is still the best choice since she has the most power."

"_**The fact is you probably could defeat her,**_" the cross added. "_**The one girl is a waste of my time. I'll defeat all three of these so called 'Kings'.**_"

"Are you trying to show us up?" Kurumu growled.

"_**As if I had to try…**_" the cross replied smugly, earning an angry scowl from the succubus. "_**But I am merely suggesting the best course of action. There will be several other enemies; you should team with the others to fight them so you don't get yourself killed.**_"

"Meaning she doesn't want to admit she doesn't want us to die," Mizore said in monotone as she sharpened an ice kunai.

"This is the part where if you were visible, you'd blush," Danny added to the silent cross.

"Uh okay," Gin said finally settling in to the strangeness of the situation. "Well I know you're supposed to be good and everything but I don't think you should take all three alone."

A cold chill suddenly ran up Danny's spine as a puff of blue smoke escaped his lips. "Gin?"

"I felt it," the club leader said looking around cautiously.

"_**They're here…**_"

In an instant the club was surrounded. Several monsters growled, hissed, or roared at them as some of the Commission members had already taken their true form. From the crowd of beasts, three human figures emerged, the enormous Ishi, the giggling Deshiko, and the stoic Kuroi.

"Did you really think you could lose us so easily?" the black haired King asked.

Kurumu put a hand on her hip. "What makes you creeps always think we're running away?" she retorted arrogantly.

"We just didn't want to mess up the classroom before we could get started on the paper that says how bad we beat you," Mizore added. The girls high-fived each other without even a glance.

"Well it looks like Moka isn't the only one who gonna have a pride fight," Gin grinned staring at the bespectacled young man. "I mean if you go vamp to vamp, I might as well go wolf to wolf…"

A smirk played over Kuroi's face. "Do not think that just because we are of the same race that you are on par with me."

"Funny," Gin said returning the smirk. "I was gonna say pretty much the same thing."

"There sure are a lot of them," Yukari said, a slight tremble in her voice.

"38," Danny replied. Everyone looked at him curiously. "I have no idea why I knew that."

"This is annoying," Ishi growled.

"Yeah, can we just kill 'em already?" Deshiko agreed.

"Moka, you sure you can take those two alone?" Danny asked.

"_**Do not forget who you are talking to…**_"

"Cool," Danny smiled as he grabbed the silver cross. "Then let's rock…"

The Public Safety Commission braced themselves as a dark light burst out of the girl. An incredibly powerful surge of energy poured from the source as multiple demonic auras threatened to bring the weakest members to their knees. Even the Three Kings felt a tremor of fear when a power unlike anything they'd ever experienced seeped through their natural barriers.

When the light faded, the six members of the Newspaper Club stood wholly changed. Little Yukari stood with her wand out, a determined look etched in her face. Mizore stood patiently with her arms crossed, claws of ice reaching out of her baggy sleeves. Kurumu hovered above the group, her black wings flapping slowly as she held her place in the air and her pointed tail whipped in anticipation. Where Gin had stood moments before, a large grey wolf stood on its hind legs, its yellow eyes locked on Kuroi and a fierce smile on his canine fangs. Moka stood proudly, wiping a single strand of silver hair from in front of her crimson eyes. Last but not least, Danny stood at the head of the group, his eyes glowing neon green and his body gleaming with a dull light over his black jumpsuit.

"Defiant to the bitter end I see," Kuroi said firmly as he looked over his outnumbered enemies. "And it will be bitter, I assure you. Slaughter them…"

* * *

Let's hear it for cliffhangers! Okay you guys probably have a few questions so let's see if I can't answer them. Anyone who has seen the anime knows who the Three Kings are (got that title from the show too). You probably remember that Kuroi was a cerberus as well. I changed this for three reasons: 1. I refuse to believe a demon that is supposed to be the guardian of hell plays second banana to anything, even somebody like Kuyou. 2. I really, _really_ wanted to write a werewolf battle royal. 3. Because I can *neener XP* As for Deshiko, the jiang shi thing is just a theory, but apparantly it's a popular one. If there are any others, you know where to find me.

* * *

**FlaraShadowora:** Yep, auras and energies play a big part in this story. I won't go into details before I'm ready but I can at least give you that much. I know what you mean about his basic powers being an advantage, but I can counter most of thise. Invisibility: while he may be able to use it he hardly does, even in the show. Maybe he considers it cheap, maybe he doesn't like fighting when he can't even see his own body. Either way, that won't be used in a fight much. Intangibility: don't know if you noticed, but other chapters had hints at that. That's all I'm willing to say for now. Possesion: fun as it would be to see Moka's dad punching himself in the face over and over, that would fall in with intangibility. Flight you've got me on, but I wouldn't have argued that one in the first place. About his telekinesis, I doubt it will be an all out weapon (psychic blasts, throwing a bunch of things at once, etc) but it will get used more for various reasons. Can't make any promises on the ectowhip. Danny might get new powers but that's still in the planning stage.

**Okami Princess:** I know, wasn't the 'Know your place' awesome?! Don't be surprised if he uses it again. And don't worry, I don't plan on quitting this story, just wanted to warn you guys that updates are gonna slow down a little. Chopper's name isn't from One Piece, it was actually in the manga (I'd wager his name comes from the fact that he uses nothing but karate chops). By the way, I finally looked up that song you sent me a pm about. When I write fight scenes I usually listen to music to inspire so this might be real useful next chapter, thanks.

**xbusterz:** Danny Phantom manga? Where is this, I wanna take a look?

**Raidentensho:** Hehehe...

**S. Knightshade:** Hope you're still alive to read this. I tried to get my friends at the station to take out their ambulance, but they said something about needing a location to go to? Go figure... Okay, if you want to ask me a few spoilers that's fine, send me a pm. But I warn you, I will be _very_ picky.

**shadow:** Sorry but you'll have to wait hopefully for the answer, I don't wanna give out spoilers yet.

**thepenultimatefailure:** Oh Danny 'likes' all the girls. Except Yukari, Danny doesn't dig the loli scene, but he's still interested in friendship with her. Remember, I said before that Danny would play the field. After all he hasn't dated enough to really know his 'type' (sadly I can relate). I'm trying to start slow on romance since I'm new to it. I'll try and make it heavier when the girls have chapters focusing on each of their relationships with him. I'll let you draw your own conclusions on the height issue. Like you said, 5' 9" is a decent height for a guy his age (especially with a Dad the size of Jack Fenton) and from what I've seen in the manga it would still be fair enough to make him just a little taller than the girls and still be shorter than plenty of other classmates. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, Danny already stands out pretty well.

**Anthiena:** Glad you like my story. A friend of mine actually got hooked on Rosario + Vampire when he read it so I'm kinda proud of it. Sorry if you don't like the 'monster of the week' situation but my story isn't so much original as it is focusing on Danny's effect on the R+V world. Still, there will be more original work in the future, though I don't know if the format will change, but the main story always rolls around at some point. Enjoy.

Anybody who likes Final Fantasy X-2, my friend **kaji niken** just started a story in that section. Check it out, it's good. I'll try and get the next chapter up faster. 'Til then, later.


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry I took so long everybody. You would not believe the crap I've had to deal with lately. But you didn't come to hear me complain so let's get on with the show.

* * *

"Here we go!" Danny yelled. He threw his arms out and erected an emerald dome of energy that protected the group as several monsters charged toward them. The various creatures hammered on the shield trying to break through to their prey.

Danny curled the fingers of his outstretched hands in concentration. The ghost shield grew brighter as he forced more energy to its outer layer. The Enforcers began to step back nervously at the sudden change, especially when the energy began to spiral around the dome. Finally, the shield flashed one final time before it fired off in all directions. The Commission monsters were sent flying by the tremendous explosion.

"Interesting…" Moka grinned as the Newspaper Club stood unharmed by the impromptu bomb.

Danny chuckled as the other monsters approached much more cautiously. "Mizore, why don't we clear the road for Moka and Gin?"

"Done…" Mizore agreed. With a wave of her hand a large wave of icicles rushed forward, sending some creatures flying and others to leap out of the way. The ones that managed to dodge were quickly brought down by Danny's ghost rays.

"You kids have fun now," Gin smiled back as he ran over the path of ice, Moka close behind.

"Try not to die," the vampire added stoically.

"Aw, she does care," Kurumu grinned before turning and slashing a bird-shaped monster out of the sky with her blade-like nails. She smiled at the other monsters as she hovered in the air. "Okay boys, who wants to play with me first?"

Gin and Moka landed in front of the three leaders of the Public Safety Commission, the sounds of battle erupting behind them.

"What only two of you?" Deshiko asked in disappointment. "I was hoping Fenton would come out and play too."

"Indeed," Kuroi agreed. "I suppose he was too much of a coward to face a King."

Ishi gave a grunt of agreement.

"Danny was the one who brought down Kuyou," Moka said calmly. "He has nothing more to prove. The two of us will be more than enough to handle you three weaklings."

"That's what I hate about you damn 'super' vamps!" Deshiko shouted angrily, her temper flaring at the tone of superiority in the other vampires voice. "You always think you're such hot stuff!"

"Well I'm inclined to agree," Gin licked his lips as he looked Moka's body over hungrily. The vampire slapped him hard in the back of the head without so much as a glance.

"Bad dog…" she growled in annoyance while the werewolf rubbed the new lump on his head.

Kuroi sighed. "You are such an insult to our kind, you know that?"

"Well I have heard it before," Gin smiled. "But at least I'm not some mindless attack dog like you were for Kuyou."

Kuroi growled in fury. "Shut your mouth you worthless-"

"Scum? Yeah, I know. Can't you chumps come up with something original?" Gin chuckled. "Why don't we just see who the worthless wolf is here?"

Kuroi took a deep calming breath and adjusted his glasses. "Very well. Let's begin…"

Kuroi's glasses were thrown to the ground as his nose and mouth sprang forward into an angry muzzle. His black hair quickly spread all over his body which grew large and muscular, tearing his jacket apart. He ripped the tattered garment off with his sharp claws. The black wolf stood a head taller than the grey-furred Gin, and smiled down at the smaller lycan with his rows of hungry fangs.

"Do let's…" Gin smiled back, his ear twitching in anticipation. In a blur, both werewolves had vanished into the woods.

"You sure you want to let him go?" Deshiko quirked her head at Moka.

"As if I care what happens to that stray," the silver haired girl sighed. "Besides, despite all his faults, Gin is quite strong. He won't lose easily."

Deshiko threw a malicious grin at the girl. "I meant do you want to let him go and fight us all alone…?"

Moka smirked back at the red head. "As if I had any reason to be afraid…"

"You stinking whore!" Deshiko shrieked.

"Calm down Deshiko," Ishi said, licking his lips in a sadistic smile. "Let's show her just how foolish she is!"

With a mighty roar the enormous man instantly tripled in size. His jacket exploded as his muscles turned to huge, chiseled grey stone. His eyes became red and pupilless on a head that resembled an Easter Island statue. Without a moment's hesitation, Ishi swung his massive fist in a devastating punch.

Moka leapt backwards, easily dodging the blow. "I thought you were going to show me something," the vampire said smugly. She jumped back towards the golem, a kick aimed at his stone skull.

She suddenly felt another powerful energy moving toward her. Moka raised her arm just in time just in time to block a powerful kick aimed at her own head. She was pushed back to the ground where she slid to a stop and looked back at her attacker.

Deshiko stood on Ishi's shoulder with a malicious smile on her lips. The girl's uniform had changed, the jacket had turned from black to purple and grown a pair of long, baggy black sleeves. Her long red hair had fallen from its usual pony tail and hung freely down her back almost to her ankles. But the fiercest change was her eyes. The whites of both had turned black as pits while her gold iris stared down at Moka.

"Worried yet? Every time I touch you, a little more of that precious aura your kind is so proud of becomes mine," Deshiko giggled.

"How naïve…" Moka chuckled, straightening herself proudly. "As if you could even hope to drain enough power to match me. You'll be beaten long before you can try."

"You stuck up bitch!" the jiang shi screeched. "That stupid pride of yours is gonna be the reason I beat you. Let's go Ishi!"

The golem obeyed as he swung his enormous fist once again. Moka quickly jumped over the furious punch. She could see Deshiko running down the long stone arm at high speed. Both girls quickly turned into a powerful kick. Their legs struck each other with explosive results as the vampires energies struggled for dominance, shaking the trees around them with the force of the blows.

XXXXXXXXXX

The two were like a pair of black and grey pinballs as they bounced back and forth around the trees at impossible speeds. Each time one got close enough to strike the other, in a sudden blur, they were gone. Gin ran straight up a tree, Kuroi quickly closing the gap behind him. Just as the black wolf swung his claw to slash his opponent's ankles, the grey lycan leapt backward, leaving the nails to slice nothing but bark, tearing halfway through the tree.

As Gin flipped backward, his feet came to rest on another tree. He rebounded, charging Kuroi at high speed with a fierce punch. The black canine turned to see Gin's incoming assault, but with no time to counter, continued up. Gin's grey fist struck where Kuroi's head had been, finishing the tree as it exploded in a storm of splinters.

"Even a fool like you must realize this is pointless," Kuroi growled as he stood on the portion of the trunk that was falling. "Your friends are hopelessly outnumbered. Even the vampire girl can't stand against two of the Four Kings."

"Pointless isn't the point," Gin laughed before he rushed forward again. The falling tree was sliced in two by his claw when Kuroi jumped out of the way. "The point _is_ that we're not gonna play dead like some whipped dog. Like you…"

"Shut up!" Kuroi snarled. He ricocheted off of three trees, gaining momentum before charging Gin again. The grey wolf just barely managed to twist out of the way before the black claw swept past him, as Kuroi continued all the way to the ground.

"As for the hopelessly outnumbered part, I've gotta agree with Danny," Gin smiled as he landed on a branch. "It's not quantity, it's quality. You know what they say, 'it ain't the size of the dog in the fight…!'"

Gin jumped down at Kuroi at full speed. He reached out with his claws as he drew closer. To his surprise Kuroi didn't move. At the last second, Kuroi extended his arm in a powerful jab, his longer arms closing the distance faster than Gin's could. The grey wolf choked as he collapsed on the black wolf's fist and he dropped to all four's gasping for air.

Kuroi's cold black eyes bore down on Gin as he panted. "What was that you were saying about 'size of the dog'?" Kuroi grinned before slamming his fist into Gin's eye.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Lizardman…" *BLAST* "Fishguy…" *BLAST* "Dunno, dunno, dunno…" Danny fired three more ghost rays from his fingertips in quick succession. He held up his smoking fingers and blew on his makeshift guns. A small puff of blue escaped his lips and he turned and fired as another beast came his way. "Wookie… Wait what?!"

"What's a wookie?" Yukari called summoning a magic ribbon from her wand that wrapped around the mouth of a creature that resembled a two legged goat with fangs.

"You're kidding right?" he asked before throwing a huge raccoon at Yukari's opponent, bringing down both.

"No, what is it?" Kurumu replied as she slashed a giant black owl.

Danny sighed in disbelief, piledriving what was basically a large anteater with scales. "Jeez, I know you guys were raised as monsters but haven't any of you seen a movie?"

"Nope," Mizore said freezing the head of a giant chicken that had been spitting fire at her.

Danny raised a ghost shield to hold off three minotaur-like monsters. "Okay, when we go on the trip to the human world, I am so taking you girls to the movies."

"It's a date!" Kurumu giggled as she dragged a mix between a girl and a beetle with her tail and crashed them into the bull-headed creatures.

"Not what I meant," Danny replied before blasting all four backwards with a burst of ecto energy. "Then again, it's not a bad idea either... Okay girls you're on!"

"Yay!" all three cheered before turning to face their next opponent.

XXXXXXXXXX

"BWAH!!" Ishi wheezed as Moka's kick drove into his gut, forcing all the air from his lungs. Moka smiled in wicked satisfaction as she spun gracefully, before driving another foot into the golem's stone stomach. Spit flew from the giant's mouth as the force of the blow actually lifted his enormous form off the ground. His eyes widened in horror and pain as three more punishing kicks pushed him higher and higher in the air. With a satisfied chuckle, Moka delivered a final devastating strike to the golem's gut, shattering the rock that covered it.

"So much for rock hard abs," Moka smirked as the statue-like giant crumbled at her feet. She wiped a lone strand of hair out of her face and turned to face Deshiko. "Still care to continue?"

"You bitch," Deshiko fumed, her golden eyes burning with hatred. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

The Chinese vampire raced toward her opponent. Moka smiled as she easily dodged the first kick. The red head growled as she spun into another which the silver haired girl dodged again. Deshiko changed her approach and struck with her outstretched fingers, hoping to pierce the girl with her aura.

Again Moka was unaffected as she avoided the lightning fast blows with a smile of superiority. The red head's attacks became clumsier as her frustration grew. She had expected to have the advantage, robbing Moka of her energy as the fight dragged on, especially with Ishi on her side. But the other vampire was simply too fast, dodging almost every attack and preserving her aura. And Ishi now lay useless in a battered heap.

After another wild swing from Deshiko, Moka finally countered. She ducked under the girl's hand and drove her own upward in a simple movement, slamming her palm into the jiang shi's jaw. Deshiko grunted as she flipped backwards and crashed to the ground right next to her defeated ally. The red head growled angrily, climbing slowly to her feet.

"It should be obvious by now who I am," Moka smiled down at the girl. "I am your superior…"

"As if!" Deshiko hissed. She glared back at the woman, not willing to admit she was outmatched, but the evidence was clear. Moka stood over her, not a scratch on her beautiful form. She wasn't even breathing hard and she'd taken out Ishi with his powerful defenses!

That was when a mischievous glint shone in Deshiko's black and gold eyes.

"So damn cocky, too bad I've got the advantage…"

"Where would you get such a foolish idea?" Moka scoffed. "I am faster, stronger, and more powerful than you. The only chance you had was outnumbering me, and your ally has already fallen."

"That's exactly why I've won…" Deshiko giggled, making Moka raise an eyebrow questioningly. Suddenly Deshiko began to glow deep red, her aura causing the air to swirl. She stretched out a hand toward Ishi's unconscious form, which began to glow red as well.

Moka's eyes went wide as she realized what Deshiko was doing. She shielded her face as the jiang shi's energy skyrocketed, threatening to throw her down. "You bitch! You're actually feeding off your own ally?!"

Deshiko roared with harsh laughter as she ripped the life out of Ishi's body. "Why shouldn't I?! If he lost then the only thing he's good for is giving a real monster a boost!"

In the blink of an eye, Deshiko had closed the distance, slamming her palm into Moka's stomach. Moka clinched her teeth in pain as the blow drove the breath and energy from her body. The vampire was blasted backwards, gasping for air. She smashed against a tree that was instantly reduced to a pile of toothpicks.

"You…killed him?! Just to beat me?! He was your ally, your _friend!!_" the vampire managed to cry in rage as she slowly pulled herself up.

"Then I'm sure he doesn't mind!" Deshiko cackled as she rushed forward again. Moka just barely managed to dodge the devastating palm thrust, but was instantly thrown high into the air by a furious kick to the jaw. The jiang shi smiled as she leapt into the air after her. "Vampires get stronger by killing and feeding off their victims, it's the same for all tribes!"

"That's not true!" Moka yelled back, just barely twisting out of the way of Deshiko's incoming kick. "I may drink blood, but I've never killed for it. Strength comes from more than that. Draining people isn't what makes us stronger, and even if it was, he was one of your own!"

"Don't make me laugh, you hypocrite! We both know that you're no different!" Deshiko drove another foot into Moka's chest when she saw the girl's look of surprise. The silver haired girl crashed hard into the ground, sending dirt flying in a huge cloud. The red head landed several feet away, a wicked smile plastered on her face. "Everyone knows you're a vampire because you're always drinking that Fenton kid's blood. If he's really as strong as they say, you must be doing it to feed off his strength. Well right now, I'm the strongest vampire because I drained a _friend_ in the exact same way. You're just pissed that I'm gonna win because I took it all at once."

"Don't… You… _Dare!_" Moka growled. Deshiko gasped, shielding her eyes as the cloud of dust was blasted away from the vampire by an incredible surge of power. The girl looked in awestruck horror as the woman's crimson eyes stared at her with unrivaled hatred. She trembled at the energy erupting from the silver haired demon that eclipsed the power the red head had been so proud of moments before. It was so strong, even stronger than anything she'd felt from Kuyou!

"Don't you dare mistake what I have with Danny with your pathetic lust for power!" Moka glared, each word thick with rage as she stepped toward the wide eyed girl. She stopped a few feet from her, a small smile slipping onto her lips. "Or the mistake of thinking you suddenly have a chance to win…"

"You _BITCH!!!_" Deshiko screeched as she charged forward at blinding speed. She didn't care how strong this woman _thought_ she was, there was no vampire in this school stronger than her. She screamed with fury as she charged, drawing every ounce of energy into her right hand, ready to rip the damned woman's heart out of her chest.

The blow was too fast to see. Deshiko didn't know what had happened as she was suddenly lifted off of the ground, her arms and legs dangling helplessly as she folded on Moka's unseen kick. She could hear a voice, strong and confident, though for Deshiko in her current state, it barely registered as a whisper.

"You said that my pride would be my downfall. But doubting it was yours," was all it said.

Then she felt the pain. Deep, penetrating, incredible pain like nothing she'd ever felt before. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to do _something_ but found everything impossible as her body betrayed her. The last thing she saw was Moka's face, all amusement gone as she looked at the girl with stern hatred before her head collapsed and darkness engulfed her.

Moka lowered her leg, letting the beaten jiang shi drop to the ground unceremoniously. She made a quick assessment of her injuries, but none were so bad they would require immediate attention. She could still hear the sounds of battle not far away. She allowed herself a small chuckle when she felt the energy coming from the battlefield.

"_Stupid boy_," she thought amused. "_He's_ _holding back. If he were fighting at full strength those weaklings would have been finished by now. He's too kind hearted…_"

With that thought she turned back to the fallen Deshiko. She looked at her with a sneer of distaste. The girl would live, though she would need a lot of medical attention. Moka didn't know if it was her own kindheartedness or a simple rule that she had but the woman was no murderer. She killed only when she had no choice, against the most deadly of opponents. As much as this girl might deserve a death sentence for her heinousness, it was not Moka's job to deliver it.

She began to walk toward the sounds of her comrades when she realized she'd forgotten something. A grin graced her lips as she turned her head and called back to the unconscious Deshiko.

"Know your place…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"This isn't working," Mizore shouted as icicles fired from her sleeve like a gatling gun, bringing down the same hairball of a creature that she'd knocked down six times already. It dropped to the ground, ice sticking out of the mass of fur, but it was impossible to tell if the thing was beaten or not.

"There's too many of them!" Yukari cried as she lay on the ground. Danny stood over her, firing ghost rays one after another to keep the creatures from attacking the girl in her vulnerable state.

"Danny, we can't keep this up," Kurumu called as the black owl and beetle girl from earlier chased her through the air. "We've barely taken out half of them and the ones that are left are really tough."

The girls were beginning to tire. Yukari was already down and there was no telling if she could get back up again. And to make things worse, that unseen force that had told him how many enemies there were was saying there were 16 of them still standing. And all of these guys were tough enough to take plenty of damage. They were running out of options.

"Point taken," Danny called picking Yukari up in one arm. He quickly took to the air and flew at Mizore, grabbing her with his free hand as the hair creature rose again. "Kurumu, think you can round 'em up?"

The succubus hesitated for a moment but knew Danny must be planning something and forced her wings to flap harder. Her eyes began to glow with violet light as she increased her speed. Moments later, the ground beneath the Enforcers began to quake. They gasped in surprise when a large tree suddenly sprang from the ground at the center of the battlefield. The phantom plant reached its branches toward the Enforcers, pushing and dragging them all toward its trunk. Kurumu panted as she circled the mass of monsters, pushing her illusionary powers to their limits.

"She can't hold that long," Danny muttered. "Mizore, think you can help her out?"

The snow woman gave him a quick nod. "Drop me," she said firmly.

Danny obeyed and lowered her to the ground. Without hesitation Mizore slammed her hands into the dirt. Once again the earth began to shake as another of the girls summoned up all the power she could muster. Moments later the ground beneath the Public Safety Commission exploded with ice, trapping the horde of enemies in a cold circle.

Kurumu's illusion quickly vanished as the succubus dropped to all fours, panting. Mizore began gasping for air as well, her last attack having winded her. Despite their surprise at the two girl's level of strength, the members of the PSC continued to fight. The strongest of them had already begun to break free from the ice that held them.

"They won't quit," Yukari said in a shaky voice.

"You better get down too, Yukari," Danny said landing momentarily. "I'm about to try something big…"

The witch could hear the seriousness in the halfa's voice and slid to the ground before Danny rocketed back into the air. He floated above the various creatures as they continued to tear their way out of their bonds. He only had a few seconds before they would be free. He just hoped this would work.

"_Here goes something…_" Danny thought taking a deep breath and concentrating. He thought back on all the times he had seen Moka fight. The way she moved, the incredible strength she possessed, but most of all, the way her aura worked. He'd never really realized it, but his ghost sense had subconsciously recorded it every time he'd seen her fight. With that information and Danny's newfound aura, maybe, just maybe, he could increase the strength of his own attack.

Danny felt the energy rising inside him. The aura steadily became more focused as he grew more familiar with the sensation. He realized that it wasn't so different then when he normally used his powers, it just took more concentration like his telekinesis. As if on instinct, the energy filtered down to his hands, igniting his palms in a solid green glow.

He looked down at the horde of monsters that still remained. Another moment and the stronger ones would be free to attack the girls, all of whom were too tired to put up much of a fight. It was now or never. Danny pointed his hands down at the Enforcers, and released the energy.

The girls were nearly thrown back as Danny's massive blast hit the ground. They watched in amazement as the green bolt engulfed the circle of stunned monsters, covering the entire group in a single ray. As quickly as the attack had begun, it stopped, leaving the charred Commission monsters staring up blankly at the source of the ghost ray. All the remaining Enforcers collapsed to the ground, their bodies smoking with the aftershock of energy. Danny floated to back down slowly, equally shocked by the strength of his attack. But not too shocked to feed his ego. With a cocky smile the halfa raised a still smoking finger to his lips, and blew.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was impossible to count the number of times Gin had been hit. Kuroi's arms moved back and forth like lightning, switching between devastating punches and slashing fiercely with his claws. The black wolf finally let up on his assault and grinned as he surveyed his battered opponent. Gin groaned as he slid down the tree that acted as his sole support.

"Do you understand now?" Kuroi taunted as he reached down and lifted the grey lycan by his throat. "The reason I call you scum is because that is exactly what you are. You are nothing before the might of the Public Safety Commission. And now you and your pathetic group wi-"

Kuroi froze as a strange energy passed over him. It was the same aura that had seeped its way through his barriers moments before the battle had begun. He looked around in confusion searching for the source of the strange energy.

"What the hell is this?" Kuroi growled in annoyance as he stared at the air, doing his best to shake off the nervous feelings the aura filled him with.

"Heh, feels like Danny's finally getting serious," Gin chuckled as he grabbed the black wolf's wrist. "And from the smell of things, you're the only 'King' still on his throne."

"Silence!" Kuroi snarled, tightening his grip. Despite his anger, the black wolf sniffed the air, feeling for the energies of his allies. His black eyes went wide in shock when he couldn't find them._ ANY OF THEM!_ He was the only one left!

"That's...not possible!"

"Is that what you think?" Gin smiled, his own grip tightening on his opponents wrist. Kuroi flinched at strength in the lycan's grip, stronger than he would have thought possible. "Guess I should get serious too…"

Gin slammed his claw into Kuroi's chest. The black wolf was blasted back by the powerful blow, disbelief clear on his canine face. "Do you really think you can beat me? After all the injuries you've sustained? I've controlled this fight from the beginning!"

"Not really," Gin sighed as he brushed some invisible dirt off his shoulder. "I just thought I'd play it cool and take a little damage," he grinned. "After all, chicks dig scars."

"You scum!" Kuroi howled charging the grey wolf at full speed. Gin met him head on, racing forward twice as fast. His claws sank deep into the black fur, making the werewolf cry out in pain. As quick as he'd struck, he leapt back, pressing his feet into Kuroi's chest and pushing off of him like a stepping stone.

"You didn't let me finish earlier," Gin smiled as he flew backward. "It ain't the size of the dog in fight," he rebounded off a tree, racing forward with all his strength. "Cause a dog shouldn't mess with a wolf!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Couldn't you have done that earlier," Moka asked as Danny blew on his 'pistol'.

"I kinda doubt it," the halfa smiled back wearily. "That was _not_ easy. Worked nicely though…"

Moka merely scoffed in amusement. However it only lasted for a moment. A giant mole-like creature suddenly burst out of the ground, its enormous claws reaching out to rip the vampire apart…

…when a metal basin dropped on its head. The creature sat there dazed for a moment when a sink dropped on it as well, followed by a bathtub, and a then a toilet. The moleman stood there on unsteady legs with its head stuck in the toilet bowl before it stumbled forward and collapsed. Everyone turned toward Yukari, who winked back proudly.

Moments later, a pair of werewolves came crashing through the trees. The black one was thrown to the ground hard. The grey one landed on top of the unconscious black wolf and threw his head back in a victorious howl.

"Oh shut up, you dumb mutt," Moka sighed, silencing the grey lycan and earning a sweatdrop from everyone else.

"I guess we showed those guys!" Yukari cheered.

"As if there was ever any doubt," Mizore said matter-o-factly.

"Hey Gin, you looked pretty messed up. You okay?" Danny said looking at the werewolf's injuries.

"Yeah. I told you guys Kuroi was tough, but I pulled it out," he said in mock pain.

"Looks to me like you got your butt kicked and just got lucky at the end. So uncool," Kurumu said. All the girls nodded in agreement. Gin just cried tears of sorrow as his plan blew up in his face.

* * *

Finally finished. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter because I've been straining to get it done. Next time will be the start of Summer Vacation in the story so you all know what who will be making her debut. Sorry to anyone who wanted to see Danny being 'tutored' by Ririko but that won't be happening. I'm trying to avoid just copying everything as much as possible and I couldn't come up with anything real original to put there. So as much as I would like to write about an _insanely _sexy teacher...with huge boobs, dressed in black leather, swinging her whip to feed her domination fetish (cleans drool off the floor), I'm gonna have to pass. On to reviews!

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**DarkMagicianmon:** Just read and see.

**Esuslol:** Hope this isn't going too slow for you. But seeing as how I'm following the manga format while still adding some original stuff of my own (to help show it is mine not just some corny copoff), I don't know what I can do. Glad you like the 'all girls are equal' point of view. I'm with you I hate predetermined harems. They just seem so pointless.

**Okami Princess:** First of all, Happy Birthday! I tried to get this chapter up fast to say it before and then my computer...and, and the work...and, and...*sigh* Seriously though, Happy Birthday. Anyway, on to your questions. Yes, Danny misses Sam and Tuck but at least he gets to talk to them on the phone (like I mentioned in earlier chapters, the time zones work out so he can call the US in the morning and it will be afternoon in Amity Park, he alternates so he can talk to his family and his friends on different days). Besides, one more week in Japan isn't gonna ruin the whole summer back home. And I'm sorry, but Sam and Tucker will not be joining him at the beach. I'll be sure and look into the band you mentioned when I get the chance.

**CalyGamer13:** Thanks for mentioning the manga. I'd seen it before and wondered if that was what **xbusterz** had meant but wasn't sure. Glad you're enjoying the story and stick with me.

**FlaraShadowora:** Sorry this one took even longer. Anyway I know what you mean about the duplication, definitely _interesting_. And it is coming my friend, it _is_ coming. And I'm glad you agree on Kuroi and the PSC. Always happy to hear someone's got my back in these situations.

**thepenultimatefailure:** LOL! Man you can sure get fixated on things! No big, I can play. Yes, Danny did technically have a growth spurt in this story, but he's still not the tallest guy in Amity Park or even Casper High. You have to remember that they made all the kids and teens seem really short in comparison to the adults in the cartoon. That's just common practice to imply seniority and authority in animation even though it's hardly acurate in real life. Besides, as I said before look at his dad! For that matter look at Danny's future self! He will definitely be a tall man someday. As for the girls, I still say that is open to your imagination. I didn't research that beforehand and I'm not gonna take it back now so you are welcome to draw any conclusions (one of the reasons I only listed one person's height) that you believe are suitable. Until next time, WAY TO GO SAINTS!

**Raidentensho: **'Working vacation', LOL!

**GoesKaboom:** Glad you like the story. You don't have to be good at reviews, I just appreciate the feedback. Thanks.

**S. Knightshade:** I think we already covered everything didn't we? Well then, talk to you later.

**hydro:** Man when Danny gets duplication that will be fun. He'll probably use it more for dating than fighting.

**Wing the Swordsman:** Thanks for the powers ideas. All the ones I mentioned before are just the ones Danny had in the show. Glad I've got some more to look at in the future.

Okay, I've already started to work on the next chapter. If my computer holds up okay (cross your fingers) I can get it up to you real soon. I don't plan on making you guys wait a month at a time for these so I'll do what I can. Until next time boys and girls!


	17. Chapter 17

Yes, managed to get this one done without any problems! Quick, before something goes wrong, read, _READ!!!_

* * *

"Still alive I see," the driver smirked as Danny walked up to join him at the front of the bus. "You know you shouldn't be standing when the bus is in motion…"

"Why do I get the feeling you don't really care?" Danny replied with a smirk of his own. The Newspaper Club (minus Gin) was passing through the tunnel that connected the Human World and Youkai Academy on the way to their summer trip. Danny was eager to arrive (for many different reasons).

"So what do you think of Youkai kid?" the old man asked after a puff on his cigar.

"Like you said…terrifying," Danny sighed sarcastically. "And totally, freaking, awesome…"

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself," the bus driver chuckled. "And here I thought it might be too tough for you…"

"And why would you think that?" Danny asked. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the old man's smug grin grew ever so slightly. "Just what do you know…?"

The man made himself more comfortable in the seat at the boy's question. "Me? Kid, I'm just a bus driver. What could I possibly know about you…?"

Danny was about to ask just that when he noticed a white light at the end of the tunnel. He looked ahead with anticipation as the old bus drew closer and closer and finally through…

The bus came out onto a street lined with stores and people. Danny turned his head in wonder, almost like he'd never seen such a beautiful sight in his life. There were fast food restaurants and various shops and tons of people walking around celebrating the start of summer vacation. The halfa raised a fist triumphantly in the air.

"I'm back!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure missed the Human World didn't you?" Moka giggled as Danny joined the girls in the back of the bus. She had decided to wear something more casual and looked pretty cute in her dark sundress. Then again, Moka looked good in anything, especially when it had such a low cut neck.

"Yeah, Youkai Academy is great but I still felt a little homesick," he sighed looking out the window.

"It sure is different from where I grew up," Mizore said, leaning her face as close to Danny as possible.

"Me too," Yukari agreed with a slight tremble to her voice.

"Yukari, something wrong?" Danny asked.

"She's just scared cause she's never been to the Human World," Kurumu scoffed. She had opted for a different outfit like Moka. Hers was a simple white blouse with a black ribbon tied around the collar and a pink skirt.

"I'm not scared!" Yukari shouted angrily. "I just don't know if I like the idea of spending the week in the Human World…"

"Cause you're scared," the succubus teased.

"I AM _NOT!!_"

"Calm down you crazy kids," the driver chuckled as the bus came to a stop. "We're here…"

Everyone's mouth dropped in awe as they stepped off the bus. In front of them wasn't the sea of water they'd been expecting, but a sea of sunflowers. The mass of blossoms stretched out for what seemed like miles, most well over four feet tall. The girls blushed at the beautiful sight, even the normally indifferent Mizore. Danny was the only one who wasn't thrilled by the flowers. Quite the opposite…

"Danny, you're shaking!" Moka gasped in surprise when she noticed the ghost boy's trembling hand.

"Hey you're right," Kurumu giggled. "Who would have thought our big, bad halfa was a sucker for sunflowers."

"That's not it," Danny chuckled as another cold shiver ran down his spine. "_What the hell is this, my ghost sense? It's never hit me like this before. It almost feels like it's trying to find something to sense. What the hell is going on?_"

The bus driver chuckled silently as he watched the chill wash over Danny. "If you kids want to get to the ocean, it's down that road over there," he pointed to a path a short ways through the sunflowers before climbing back on the bus. "This is as far as I would dare to go…"

"Why's that?" Yukari asked nervously, her worry about the Human World getting the better of her.

"Oh this hill is famous for disappearances," the old man smirked through his cigar smoke. "They say there is a vengeful witch who lives on this hill and kidnaps people. Personally, I'd be worried about staying a few nights here," he grinned as he settled into his seat. "You kids have fun…"

The group watched nervously as the creepy old man drove off, leaving them alone on the flowered hill.

"Wow," Kurumu laughed breaking the silence. "Your kind is the type to kidnap people like that. You should be ashamed Yukari."

"Only a stupid succubus would believe something like that!" the young witch shouted summoning a metal basin that fell hard on the bluenette's head.

"You stupid brat!" Kurumu growled.

"Break it up you two," Danny chuckled stepping between them. He bit his lip as another shiver racked his body. "Come on, the flowers are nice, but they're not why I came here. Let's hit the beach!"

All the girls cheered in approval and headed off toward the path down the hill. Unknown to them, a pair of dark pink eyes stared at the youngest member as they made their way through the tall sunflowers.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Now this is more like it…_" Danny smiled as he stepped out onto the warm sand and saw the girls in their swimsuits. Moka's exotic white one-piece, Kurumu's sexy black string bikini, Mizore's pretty purple and white two-piece, and even Yukari in a cute little orange number. "_Tuck is gonna hate me. For that matter, so is Sam…_"

"You coming or are you just gonna stare at us all day…?" Kurumu cooed striking a pose that made the halfa's eyes pop out of his head even more.

"The net's set up," Nekonome meowed (wearing a sexy red suit of her own). "You five have fun while I go get some fish!"

"I want to be on Danny's team!" Yukari cheered skipping toward the ghost boy. Before she even got close, Kurumu's hip slammed into the girl's head.

"I'm sure Danny would rather team up with a real woman," the succubus giggled.

"I guess that leaves you out," Mizore said dropping some ice down the bluenette's bikini. Kurumu yelped as the cold cubes chilled her butt.

"Everybody just calm down," Moka urged only to be silenced by the girls vicious glares.

"Here's an idea," Danny sighed in amusement. "I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10. Winner's on my team, losers are on the other team."

"Five!" Yukari shouted in earnest.

"Six!" Kurumu said, trying to one up the little witch.

"Three," Mizore said calmly, though she crossed her fingers behind her back.

"Eight," Moka smiled hopefully.

"Actual retail price…" Danny said pretending to look at a card in his hand, "…two! Mizore, come on down!"

All the other girls groaned in disappointment as the stalker snow girl joined Danny on his side of the court.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was no contest. Moka was practically on her own as Kurumu and Yukari kept arguing the entire game. Danny and Mizore slapped each other a high five as they scored the final point of the match.

Danny smiled brightly at the other girls. "And that, ladies, is- Mizore, what are you doing?"

Mizore blushed as she rubbed against Danny's shoulder. "Sorry Danny. It's really warm out here and your skin is nice and cool…"

"Hey it's not like I mind," Danny chuckled with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Happens all the time, just not from you."

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my Danny?" Kurumu fumed. "_Dammit, I'm the one who's supposed to do that with him!_"

"Cooling off," Mizore replied simply hugging the boy's arm tighter.

"Well it doesn't look like it to me!" the succubus growled grabbing Danny's other arm. She pulled her hand away in surprise at how cold it felt. "Danny, you're freezing! It must be at least 98 degrees out here, what's wrong?"

"Beats me," the halfa shrugged. "My powers have been a little weird ever since Moka gave me her blood that time. My ghost half has always had a lower temperature, that's probably all it is."

"Well we can't have you cold, can we?" Kurumu purred seductively as her floral bikini pressed against the blushing American's arm. "Don't worry Danny, I'll warm you up…"

"No, I'll do it!" Yukari giggled, jumping on the boy's back.

"Careful Danny, or she might try to kidnap you," Kurumu scoffed.

"Shut up, melonhead!" Yukari shouted summoning a basin again. This time however, Kurumu simply stepped out of the way. Danny cried out in pain as it dropped on his foot instead.

"So predictable," the bluenette smirked at the young witch. "No wonder you're so useless."

"I am not!" Yukari shouted.

"Really? Name one thing you've done to help out in a fight," Kurumu replied.

"I saved Moka from that moleman," Yukari shot back, a proud smile on her face.

"Right. You 'saved' Moka," Kurumu rolled her eyes. "All you did was drop a bathroom on the things head. That's all you _ever_ do. And as much as it annoys me, Moka probably would have knocked that thing out in one move anyway."

"But I-"

"But nothing!" Kurumu growled, getting more annoyed as she went on. "The only trick you've got is that stupid washtub and we all know how well that works. Every time we get in a fight you just cower and cry while the rest of us do all the work!"

"Kurumu, enough!" Danny shouted. "Yukari has helped us over and over no matter what we were up against. So _lay off!_"

Kurumu looked back at the young witch and saw the hurt in the small girl's eyes. She instantly felt a pang of guilt at having pushed things so far. She opened her mouth to apologize, but couldn't find the words and merely nodded in understanding.

"Come on everybody," Moka said breaking the uneasy silence. "Let's get something to drink."

XXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later Danny, Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore were sitting around a campfire cooking dinner. The cool night air was blowing gently off the sea making all but the snow woman feel a light chill. Ms. Nekonome had already eaten all the fish she had bought and gone to bed stuffed. Yukari on the other hand had never gotten over the argument earlier that day and opted to go to bed early as well.

"How could you say all that to Yukari?" Moka scolded Kurumu after waiting all day for her chance.

"She was just saying what we all knew," Mizore offered impassively. Moka glared at her angrily but the purple haired girl just shrugged.

Kurumu sighed deeply. "I know Moka. I promise I'll apologize to her tomorrow."

Danny nodded in agreement. "Yeah, best to let her sleep it off tonight."

"Alright," Moka conceded. "Well I'm at least going to see if she wants dinner."

The others nodded as she got up and walked toward the tent. After she had left, Kurumu turned nervous eyes toward Danny.

"Danny, I really am sorry…"

"I know you are Kurumu," the halfa sighed. "We've all said some stuff we don't mean when we get mad. But don't you _ever_ call Yukari useless again. She's held her ground more than once when she didn't have a chance. She's got more guts than any of us. Mizore, I don't care if you agree, that goes for you too."

Both girls nodded in understanding.

"Guys!" Moka came running up to the others, a worried look on her face. "Yukari's gone!"

"What?!" Kurumu gasped, worry and guilt mounting immediately.

"Damn," Danny growled. A chill that had nothing to do with his ghost sense or the night air gripped him as he looked up the cliff toward the sunflower field. "_I don't like this…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Yukari stared out over the vast garden of sunflowers. She hugged her legs tightly to her chest as she sat against a tree muttering to herself and flipping through her tarot cards.

"I'm not useless…" she whispered, trying her best to convince herself. She winced when she saw her next card: The Fool. She threw her cards down in anger, tears stinging at her eyes.

"You shouldn't do that."

Yukari gasped when she heard the voice. She jumped backwards, her hand flying to her wand.

"You don't have to worry," the voice giggled. "I would never harm a sister witch…"

A beautiful young woman with a crow on her shoulder stepped out of the shadows of the trees. She had long brown hair that fell down her back along with a ponytail on each side of her head. She wore a pink corset with a pair of pink sleeves on each arm. Her skirt was long and black, very old fashioned looking save for the slit that ran up her left leg. The girl smiled warmly as her dark pink eyes met Yukari's.

"Witch…? So the rumors of a witch living here are true?" Yukari gasped in surprise. The large crow on the girl's shoulder flapped toward the young girl making her jump defensively.

"Don't worry," the girl in pink chuckled. "Crows are my friends and my familiars. You have nothing to fear from them or me."

"Familiar…?" Yukari said in surprise at the name for the guardian spirit. She crouched down and carefully stroked the bird. The crow gladly leaned into the smiling girl's touch. "So you really are a witch!"

"That's right," the young woman's smile grew at the eagerness in the little girl's voice. "I'm Ruby, I live here on the Witch's Hill."

The two of them talked for nearly an hour, discussing their magics and different things about each other. They had never met any other witches before and they were both thrilled to have the chance to talk with one another. Ruby smiled after Yukari finished telling her about her home.

"It really sounds like a lovely place Yukari," Ruby sighed.

"Sure it's nice, but it isn't nearly as beautiful as your home," Yukari giggled as she looked out over the garden. "I would love to live here."

"I'd like that too," Ruby smiled sadly. "But the human's are trying to destroy it…"

"What?!" Yukari exclaimed.

"It's true," the older witch sighed. "They want to tear up this lovely field of flowers and build a hotel or some other nonsense."

"That's terrible," Yukari cried.

"I know," Ruby turned back to the young witch, her eyes desperately stern. "Yukari, my master and I have a plan to save this place. But we could use all the help we can get. Please, will you join us?"

"Of course!" Yukari leapt up with enthusiasm. "I'll do whatever I can to help!"

"Hurray!" Ruby hugged the girl tightly. "Thank you so much Yukari. You won't regret this."

"Yukari?"

Both girls turned in surprise at the intruding voice. Ruby blinked when she saw the young black haired boy from earlier who had been so eager to leave the sunflower field and go to that ridiculous beach.

"Danny!" Yukari smiled running up to the young man.

"We were worried about you when you disappeared," the ghost boy sighed in relief when he saw the young witch unharmed.

"I'm sorry," Yukari gave short pout before bursting into a smile (in typical kid fashion). "But I want you to meet a friend of mine. She's a witch like me! Her name is-"

The pair froze as an eerie pink light shone on them. They turned toward the teenage witch who was holding a large archaic looking brass wand. The rod had a long handle that ran up to a large crescent shaped design at the top with a glowing purple gem at its center. The girl stared at Danny with pure hatred in her eyes and raised her wand at him accusingly.

"So you've come to desecrate our hill again you filthy human!" she shouted in disgust.

"Ruby, what are…" Yukari looked her new friend in frightened shock.

Danny stared at the young woman for a few long moments before turning back to Yukari. "So anyway dinner's ready if you're hungry."

"Wha-?" Ruby sweatdropped at the boy's complete and total lack of fear. "Don't ignore me you bastard!"

"Wasn't plannin' on it," Danny smiled at the girl. "We've got plenty of food if you want to join us. A friend of Yukari's is welcome company. I'm Danny by the way…"

Ruby stared in disbelief as the boy extended his hand. Was this guy crazy?! He must have known about witches but how was he so calm when he was clearly being threatened?

"You damn filth!" Ruby screamed in rage. "I won't let you mock me!"

Suddenly, the light from her wand shone even brighter. From her back appeared six massive black wings like the wings of her crows that circled overhead. They gave a mighty flap that lifted her high into the air where she hovered angrily.

She waved her wand once again and from out of the flowers sprang three large green plant-like creatures. They were lifted high off the ground by a single vine each. They had huge red bulb-like sacks that hung down like potbellies. Above each 'stomach' was a wide hungry mouth that looked exactly like a Venus flytrap.

"Feed me…" the plants growled, their hungry mouths drooling for meat. "_FEED!!!_"

Ruby smiled down wickedly at her human prey. "Leave Yukari but devour the boy!" she ordered. "Go!"

"Ruby no!" Yukari screamed as the plants rushed toward them.

In an instant Danny was in front of her. The plants dove down at him, their hungry mouths open to feed. Quick as they'd come, the creatures were thrown back by three fast punches from the halfa who coupled them with a burst of ghostly energy on impact. Ruby watched in disbelief as her servants crumbled to the ground dead, a smoking hole in each of their guts. The attacks had been so quick and unexpected she'd never even sensed Danny's energy.

"Not exactly what I had in mind when I invited you to dinner," Danny said sternly, his eyes flashing green for an instant.

"Ruby why are you doing this?!" Yukari cried.

"I told you Yukari, my master and I will protect this place. We will kill all the humans here and in the city to save it from those pathetic wretches!"

"You can't do that!" the young witch yelled in horror.

"You said you'd do anything to help us," Ruby growled in reply. "This is what you can do. Help us destroy all humans who would threaten our hill, just like him!"

"Danny's not like that!" Yukari shouted her shock replaced with anger at the way she insulted the ghost boy. "He's my friend!"

"He's not even a witch!" young woman hissed in astonishment.

"I don't care!" the girl said defiantly, wand in hand. "I care about Danny and I won't let you hurt him!"

"You put a human before a sister witch…?" Ruby glared at the boy who had corrupted one of her own kind with unrivaled fury. "I WON'T LET THIS STAND!!"

She raised her wand once again and several more plant-beasts leapt out of the ground. They stared without eyes at the ghost boy, eagerly awaiting their mistress's command to attack so they could feast on her enemy.

"Yukari, stay behind me," Danny ordered as he stared back at all the creatures that were hoping to take a literal piece of him.

"_That's all you __**ever**__ do…_" Kurumu's words echoed in Yukari's head. "Danny wait!" the girl pleaded. "Let me do it…"

The halfa turned to her in surprise. "Yukari, you sure?"

"Yes…" the girl nodded her voice sounding almost desperate. "I know you guys think I'm useless…"

"Yukari-"

"…and that I can't really fight…"

"_Yukari_-"

"…and that I'm just some stupid little kid-"

"_YUKARI!_"

The little witch jumped at the boy's shout. She turned fearful eyes toward his…smile?

"Just don't take too long. The others are still looking for you…"

Yukari looked at the young man's reassuring grin with wide eyes. He stepped back, showing that the field was hers and crossed his arms in wait. Setting herself with a determined glare she nodded and turned back toward her enemies.

"Don't hurt her, just get rid of the human," Ruby directed.

The plant-beasts descended on the young witch, more vines sprouting from their bulb like stomachs. Yukari tried to ensnare the vines with her own magical ribbons. It quickly became apparent that there were too many as the tendrils ripped through the ribbons like paper. The plant-beasts wrapped their vines around the young witch's limbs and lifted the struggling girl into the air.

Yukari trembled as the creatures moved past her and charged at Danny. She hadn't even lasted for a full minute against them! Tears rolled down her face as she realized Danny had trusted her and now she would have to be saved by the halfa yet again. She waited for his signature battle cry and the telltale rings that would transform him as the plants closed in…

And sank their teeth into him! Yukari stared in horror as four of the plant-beast bit into the boy's chest and legs. Danny grunted in pain when the hungry monsters ripped into him and his blood splashed onto the ground. Even through the terrible pain, the halfa held his ground and smiled back up at the tangled witch.

"_What is he doing?_" Ruby wondered in shock. "_I know he's at least strong enough to fight back. He took down three of my garigari plants easily._"

"D-Danny," Yukari stuttered. "Why didn't you…?"

"That would be helping…" Danny groaned, his smile never wavering as the plants began to chew on his body. "Like I said, can you hurry up? These guys are starting to make me hungry…"

Yukari couldn't understand why he would stand there and suffer for someone as weak as her. "_Every time we get in a fight you just cower and cry while the rest of us do all the work!_" The succubus' harsh words stung even more when she saw Danny standing there and enduring this pain for something so trivial. Yukari raised her heart shaped wand, the blue pentacle shining brighter than it ever had before…

From where they lay on the ground, Yukari's tarot cards began to glow. They floated into the air, where a pair of small luminescent wings appeared on the mystic cards. The cards flew through the air like a squadron of fighter planes, slicing the vines that held her. She landed on the ground, her eyes hard as they glared at the four creatures that had their fangs in Danny and pointed her wand.

The garigaris were ripped apart by the girls mystic projectiles. Danny took a deep breath of relief as he dropped to the ground now that he was no longer playing the tough guy act. Several cards circled the young man protectively while others flew back to Yukari and floated in the air in front of her like a levitating tarot board.

"I'm not some stupid little kid," Yukari growled. "And I won't let you hurt my friend!"

She raised her wand and the cards took off at incredible speeds. The plant beasts shrieked as the blade-like deck sped around them, ripping them to shreds with ease. Within moments, all of the garigaris were reduced to mulch. Yukari panted as the cards returned to her, her magic spent. The little witch collapsed in exhaustion, until Danny caught her.

"Danny, I'm sorry," Yukari shuddered when she saw the blood on his chest and arms.

"About what? You won," Danny smiled through his pain. "And don't worry, this isn't as bad as it looks…"

"Danny!" Moka shouted as she and the girls came running out of the woods. "Yukari?"

"_More humans,_" Ruby thought in disgust as she landed softly.

"What happened?" Mizore asked as they gathered around their fallen friends.

"Well basically those plant things jumped us," Danny said motioning to a fallen beast. "Then Yukari tossed 'em like a salad."

"_Danny…_" Yukari blushed at the boy's kind words.

"You idiot!" Kurumu shouted, her eyes watering. "You just had to run off and prove yourself. Now look at you, you're so tired you can't even stand!"

Yukari stared at the succubus in confusion. She had seemed so furious with her earlier and now she was crying in fear for the girl's safety? The young witch tightened her grip on her wand and rose slowly to her feet.

"I am not…"

Everyone smiled at the weary young witch, a new determination clear in her eyes.

"Well now that we've got that taken care of," Danny sighed as he pulled his injured form up as well. "Let's go get something to-"

The boy was silenced as five black blades were thrust through his torso. He spat blood as his body was lifted off the ground, the girls stunned in terror.

"Humans are the enemy Yukari," Ruby smiled gently as her steel like wings held the young man in the air. "You will come to see that this is for your own good."

The iron feathers ripped out of the halfa, throwing him cruelly to the ground. Moka drooped down to her knees next to him, tears streaming down her face.

"_DANNNNNNYYYYYYY!!!!_"

Ruby was nearly thrown back as a horrifying light burst out of the girl. She closed her eyes as the fearsome energy blew toward her. When she looked again she saw that the girl's pink hair had turned silver, and her tear stained eyes were not green but an angry blood red. On her chest, the silver cross she wore shuddered as it was thrown around by the frightening aura. The gem in it center glowed brightly, something bubbling beneath it like boiling water.

Ruby turned in shock as the air began to freeze around her. The purple haired girl was standing with an enraged glare of her own, a tornado of snow twirling angrily around her. The earth itself seemed to turn to ice beneath her feet.

"How dare you…" the last one hissed. This time a large pair of demonic wings ripped out of her shirt. Her nails become long and deadly sharp. Her violet eyes glowed with hatred, making it seem as though the ground were crumbling around her. "_HOW DARE YOU HURT HIM!!!_"

"What are you?" were the last words Ruby managed to whisper before the three women charged, death in their wake. Ruby closed her eyes in fear before an instant later her mind was consumed by pain…

* * *

Ouch, someone is gonna be sore in the morning. Glad I managed to get this chapter up cause I'm heading out for Spring Break tomorrow (works out nicely with the Summer Vacation starting here huh). That means I'm either going to have a lot of free time to work on this or none whatsoever. But at least this is one thing off my mind for the moment. By the way, a few people asked me this time round when Danny learned Japanese. Well I'm sorry to say that is one thing I didn't think of when I first started this story. Please don't think think poorly of me, as I said in Chapter 1, this is my first fanfic. This is the solution I came up with, Danny is currently learning Japanese in school (like an English as a second language class in the US) and he's gotten pretty good seing as he's the only student currently in that class and the teacher can focus solely on his skills. Up until now, the reason everyone has been able to understand each other is thanks to the barrier. Its magic makes everyone capable of communication with one another in casual speech (and until someone proves me wrong, I will stand by that). Hope that explanation is good enough for everyone. On to reviews!

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers.

**FlaraShadowora:** Glad you think I'm doing well. Yes, Danny will get his ice powers. I'm not saying he won't get the storm powers as well but Danny will definitely all the powers that were actually his in the show. That ecto attack you asked about was a super charged Ghost Ray. Like I described, Danny was trying to mimic Moka's ability to increase her attack power with her aura, and that was the result. It's going to be a trump card move since it takes some time, concentration, and effort to pull off. I'm thinking of calling it his Aura Strike, what do you think? And I'm glad you like what I did with Deshiko. I couldn't believe they made the PSC elites such wimps in the show so I tried to make it more believable. In some ways I can't answer your question about Kuyou. In my story it hasn't been that long since he was beaten, not even a month, and remember what kind of shape he was in (practically broken in half). Then again, the manga never specified what happened to him after he was defeated so I am at a bit of a loss. Hope that covers everything.

**thepenultimatefailure:** Thanks as always. Don't worry about the height thing. Any review is good for me and the fact that you ask so much makes me gives me stuff to think about for the future. Hopefully I can put give Ririko a role or two in the future (might even get to use her outfit) but we'll just have to see. Maybe even have Ruby in an outfit of her own. Hehehe...

**the DragonBard:** Soon...

**Reloshin:** Thanks man, welcome to the story group. Like the idea about the Ice Wail trick but don't be surprised if it's not used on *cough* Skulker *cough*.

**Okami Princess:** *gets knocked over by glomp* Hi. Nice to see you too. Congrats on the laptop (lucky). As you can see I answered the Japanese part already. Thanks for filling me in on that little screw up, didn't realize I hadn't covered it. And as for Sam and the harem, well you'll see. Eventually... Oh, and one more thing, can I have another hug?

**Parselmaster:** One, covered above. As for Tsukune, he already knew some English and is learning more. Two, didn't know that was why Tsukune could remove the seal. Interesting... I don't want to answer this one straight out. I may have something I can put in later so I think it best not to be hasty. Also, I know Danny isn't Tsukune and their personalities are different. But I still think they have a few things in common, namely they share a hero complex. If you have something specific to address there then let me know.

**S. Knightshade:** Gin might catch a break later, but for now I'm just treating him how the canon would. He may be having trouble with the ladies but at least he kicks a bit more ass. Oh the DP baddies are coming, but it is rare for the monster and ghostly communities to mix (at least in a pleasant way) so they tend to avoid Youkai Academy. That doesn't mean that they _never_ show up...

**Hollowfied:** Grimmjow rocks!

**ClassicCartoon27:** Thanks and yes, Danny will get the ghostly wail.

Well that's all I got for this week ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who will be having Spring Break this week as well, have fun and be safe. For those of you who aren't, still be safe, but get up, go to the mirror, point at yourself and laugh. Thank you and goodnight!


	18. Chapter 18

Well I'm back with part two of the Witch's Hill arc. Let's see what happened after our last little cliffhanger, shall we?

* * *

Ruby was in awe of all the lights. It was beautiful, she'd never seen so many lights in her life. She giggled as she ran back and forth in glee.

"Ruby slow down," her father chuckled as he and his wife followed the little girl through the city.

"But it's so pretty Daddy," she smiled. "So this is where the human's live?"

"That's right," her father smiled as he took the girl's hand. "Would you like to live here?"

"Of course!" Ruby jumped at the idea. "But I thought we couldn't live with the humans…"

The man smiled with a distant look in his eye. Ruby loved that look, her daddy always seemed so hopeful when he got it, like he could see a bright future. "Not yet, but someday maybe…humans and witches will be able to live together. Won't that be great?"

Ruby smiled back at him. "_Yes,_" she thought, "_that will be great_…"

Ruby's excitement soon returned full force. She practically dragged her father and mother toward a store across the street. Suddenly, she heard a loud screech. She turned toward the noise as a large pair of lights charged toward her. The lights swerved as they approached but they held their course. Her father shouted something, but Ruby was too scared to understand. She closed her eyes as the screech came again accompanied by a deafening noise and a woman's scream…

XXXXXXXXXX

"NOOO!!" Ruby shrieked. Pain wracked her body as she sat up.

"Man you guys must have really freaked her out."

Ruby opened her eyes, her vision blurred from pain and tears and looked around slowly. The witch could see five figures sitting around her, four girls and a boy. Her eyes fell on Danny and suddenly the memories came flooding back. How little Yukari had shown such strong magic powers by destroying several of her servants, the human boy who she had stabbed through the chest yet was somehow alive in front of her, then there were the three girls who had attacked her, their energies had been so strong Ruby didn't know why she was still breathing…

But she knew she had to move fast. Her hand shot for the wand at her side. Before her fingers could close around it, the wand floated away, a strange green glow encasing it. The young man caught the mystic rod as it flew to his hand.

"Give that back you filth-"

Ruby was silenced as the boy raised a single finger to her face. The finger itself wasn't what stopped her, but the energy radiating from it. The digit shone with green light as he pointed accusingly at her. His ice blue eyes stared at her with cold anger.

"Now if anyone should be mad here it's me," he growled. "I didn't do a damn thing to you. Hell, when Yukari said you were a friend I asked if you wanted to join us for dinner. How do you respond? You sick your plant things on us, have them use me for a chew toy, wear Yukari out in a fight, _stab me in the chest,_ and toss me around like a rag doll. So I'm only gonna say this once and I want you to think _very_ carefully before you answer…"

Ruby gulped at the dark tone in the young man's voice. The light from his finger began to glow brighter for a moment and she flinched when he made a sudden move…and dropped her wand in her lap.

"We've got beef and chicken, our teacher ate all the fish, what would you like?" he smiled before pulling something out of a cooler. "Oh and here's a drink."

She stared dumbfounded as Danny held out a can of soda for her. She took it from him carefully, waiting for the attack that never came. "Well?" he asked before he bit into a strip of beef.

"Don't think you can win me over so easily," Ruby said with a glare, determined to prove she would not be tricked.

"Wouldn't think of it," Danny said stretching a sore shoulder. "But Yukari told us what's going on and I wanted to talk. Besides, I've had some experience with girls who overreact…"

"Listen witch," Kurumu yelled, "you try and hurt Danny again and I'll slice your fingers and tongue off so you can never hold a wand or say a spell again!"

"And I'll freeze your limbs _slowly_ one at a time until they all fall off," Mizore agreed, her voice deadly serious.

"See?" Danny chuckled when the teenage witch trembled.

"How can you call this overreacting? She tried to kill you," Kurumu huffed.

"Who in this tent hasn't?" the ghost boy replied.

Moka and Yukari's hands both shot into the air.

"Moka, you suck my blood on a daily basis and sometimes I need to force you off with a ghost stinger. Yukari, if things had gone on with you long enough when we first met, it was only a matter of time."

Both girls lowered their hands with a sigh and a disappointed nod of agreement.

"How _did_ you survive?" Ruby asked, clearly curious of how he could survive a blade through the heart.

"Yukari said you missed my heart by less than an inch, or else I'd have been dead on the spot. As for surviving, let's just say Moka has a trick that has brought me back from the dead before," Danny grinned rubbing a spot on his neck and earning a bright smile from the pink haired girl.

"And how did I?" Ruby asked remembering the girls attack. "I thought you three were going to kill me…"

"We tried," Mizore said bluntly.

"What she means," Moka chuckled nervously, "is that Danny blasted you out of the way before he passed out."

"Blasted?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Danny has powers too," Moka smiled. Ruby's eyes furrowed.

"More likely he was trying to kill me himself," the teen witch muttered. Not quietly enough.

"Listen up you stupid spell spitter!" Kurumu barked so fiercely that Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin. "If Danny hadn't hit you when he did, you wouldn't just be nursing a few booboos, there'd be nothing left but a smoking hole in the ground."

"J-j-just what are all of you?" Ruby asked nervously.

Danny laughed out loud, an action that seemed to drive all the tension out of the air like nothing happened. All the girls grinned as they sat back down, their hostilities forgotten. Even Ruby was eased by the boy's demeanor. "We're a motley crew at best," he said. "Ladies, roll call please."

"Yukari the witch!" the little girl cheered stating the obvious.

"Moka, I'm a vampire," the green eyed girl bowed respectfully.

"Kurumu the seductive succubus," the bluenette cooed striking one of her trademark poses.

"Mizore, snow woman," the last girl waved in monotone.

"I'm complicated," Danny grinned when the girl turned back to him. "Let's just leave it at that for now."

"And he's mine so don't get any ideas," Kurumu growled hugging the boy's arm.

"Kurumu what are you talking about?" Danny asked with a blush.

Mizore took a place on his other arm. "Oh come on Danny. Every time a girl tries to kill you she ends up falling for you. We're all living proof."

"That's insane…" Ruby laughed. She turned beat red however when she saw the seriousness on everyone else's face.

"See it's already happening!" Kurumu whined.

"Wait I'm not falling for him!" Ruby denied.

"Yay! Ruby likes Danny too!" Yukari cheered.

"Well she can't have him he's mine," the succubus said.

"He's mine Melonhead," Mizore growled exchanging blows with Kurumu.

"You two morons don't deserve him," Yukari huffed as she jumped into the fray.

"Easy everybody…" Moka chuckled nervously before a hand reached out and dragged her into the smoking catfight.

Ruby just watched dumbfounded as the four girls wrestled around in front of her. Danny sipped a soda calmly as he watched the fight. "You're not going to stop them?"

"Nah, they never really hurt each other," Danny smiled as he sat down next to her. "I've learned it best for everyone if I just sit back and watch or else the only one who gets hurt is gonna be me."

Ruby watched curiously as he rotated his arm again, holding the shoulder where one of her plants had bit him. "Like you did in Yukari's fight?"

Danny paused at the question. "Yeah. Could you keep quiet about that?" he whispered. "I told the girls those monsters snuck up on me and Yukari saved me."

The teenage witch stared at him with even more wonder. "But why?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. "Why didn't you help her when she was in trouble? And why didn't you fight back when my plants attacked? You have powers, and they were strong enough that you destroyed the first three so I know you could have."

"Okay first of all, you sent those things after us. If she was in trouble that was your fault, not mine," Danny shot back, making sure his voice was low so as not to attract the others girls attention. "As for fighting back, I told Yukari I'd let her handle it."

"But they were _eating_ you," Ruby cringed. She had never actually considered what that must have been like before now. Had she really sent those things after other people, normal humans who couldn't fight back?

"I've had worse," Danny waved it off. "Besides I'm not as tough as you might think. I covered myself with a small shield before they got me, just to keep them from doing anything lethal."

"But you-"

"Look," Danny interrupted. "I trust Yukari as much as I trust all those girls. I knew she was strong enough to beat those weeds even if she didn't. If I have to bleed a little to raise her confidence-"

"I won!" Yukari cheered as she sat on top of the three beaten girls.

"-then that's fine with me…" Danny smiled before taking another swig of his soda. Ruby just stared in wonder at the strange boy.

XXXXXXXXXX

A little over an hour later the teenage witch continued to study the soda can Danny had given her as if it held all the answers to her questions. The whole situation didn't make sense to her. Even if there were monsters in this group this wasn't how things were supposed to be.

She had tried to kill one of them. If what Danny had said about Moka bringing him back was true then she had actually _succeeded_. Now everyone was lying around her, sleeping as if she was a normal part of the group. She even had her wand. One simple wave and she could kill them all and yet they let her be. It didn't make sense.

The biggest mystery was Danny. The young man had said he was 'complicated'. In Ruby's mind that was an understatement. She had scanned him with her magic several times but it kept telling her the same thing. He was human. His aura was surprisingly strong and different than anything she'd ever felt but it was definitely human. So what was that power he'd shown before? And why was he so forgiving after what she'd done?

She looked over at the black haired boy and quirked an eyebrow. He was sleeping soundly in his sleeping bag…with Kurumu cuddled up on his right side. Ruby blushed as the girl's leg tangled over the boy.

"Lucky…" she muttered under her breath.

"Ruby…?"

The witch squeaked in surprise. "I-I didn't mean him I meant her! I mean-"

"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked rubbing her eyes. "Can't sleep?"

"N-no…" Ruby sighed in half-relief that the girl hadn't heard her.

"Is something wrong?"

Ruby turned back to her soda can. "No… It's just that…I don't understand you people. How can you all treat me so kindly after everything?"

Yukari smiled in amusement. "I know the feeling. Come on let's go talk, witch to witch."

Ruby nodded and followed the younger witch out of the tent. Soon as they were gone, a single blue eye slid open. Danny raised his head to follow the girls when he noticed the succubus wrapped snugly against him.

"Excuse me," Danny whispered phasing through the girl. He covered her with a blanket and gave a quick smile to the other sleeping girls before turning invisible and following the witches onto the moonlit beach.

"We've all been through it," Yukari began as she and Ruby stared out at the darkened sea. "Danny has a way of making you question everything you know and still making you feel like you belong at the same time."

"It's not just him though," Ruby replied.

"Yes it is," Yukari smiled. "Danny has faith, so that's enough for the rest of us. If he says to give you a chance, that's all the other girls need to hear. It would have been the same for me, too."

"But why? What's so special about him?"

"He saved us…" the younger witch sighed, a nostalgic look in her eye. "He saved us all from loneliness. We don't know exactly what's so special about him, but whatever it is, it's the best thing that's ever happened to us. That's one thing we all agree on. It's how we all became friends in the first place."

"I guess I can understand," Ruby replied. "When I was alone, my mistress was the one who saved me. She gave me a reason to live after…" she hesitated.

"After what?" Yukari asked, concerned at the older witch's sad tone.

Ruby wiped her eyes as they filled with tears. "After my parents died. When I was young, younger than you are now, they were killed by a drunk driver. I was right there, but they pushed me out of the way. A human killed my parents. I cursed him. I cursed _all_ humans. That was my only comfort all these years!"

"Forgive me if that doesn't sound very comforting."

The witches gasped in surprise as Danny faded into view.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to snoop," he smiled gently. "I just wanted to make sure you two were okay."

Ruby wanted to yell at him. She was furious that he would intrude on such a private story between herself and another witch. But as she looked at his kind expression, her rage faded. She couldn't hold onto her anger as he looked at her with those clear blue eyes that practically demanded her to let him help.

"What did you mean?" she asked as calmly as she could.

"There's nothing comforting about hate Ruby. I'm the biggest idiot I know and even I know that much."

They were simple words but they hit a nerve in Ruby. The tears she'd been fighting as she told about her past fell freely as she dropped to her knees crying. It was true what Danny had said. Hate had driven her, kept her going when things seemed at their bleakest, but it had never been a comfort. Yukari dropped down next to her, embracing her sister witch. Danny sat down as well, putting a kind hand on her shoulder. Ruby held Yukari tight as she sobbed, thankful for the warmth the girl offered and the kindness of the young man next to her, perhaps the first real comfort she'd felt in years. They sat there for nearly ten minutes until Ruby's eyes had finally run dry.

"Listen Ruby, we're gonna help you save your home," Danny offered. The young woman's eyes widened in surprise.

"But…why?" she asked, again astounded by what he was saying.

Danny just smiled at her. "Because we help our friends."

"I…" Ruby tried to speak, but it barely came out as another sob. She started when a small black figure floated down behind him. It was a crow, a large sunflower held in its beak. Ruby took a deep breath and smiled at the young man. "I wish we all could have met sooner."

Danny went wide eyed as he felt Ruby's magic energy spike. The stone in her wand glowed brightly as a mystic black ribbon much like Yukari's burst forth. The magic black bands wrapped around the two of them and they dropped to the sand.

"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered, her six black wings appearing and lifting her into the air. "It's too late for me to change…"

"Danny! Yukari!"

The three girls burst out of the tent where they had been watching. With another flash of light and wave of her wand, Ruby snared them as well. The girls groaned as they crashed to the ground. Ruby looked sternly at the group and raised her wand to deliver the final blow…

"Ruby!" Yukari cried desperately.

The black winged girl looked back at the young witch with sad eyes. The little girl stared in shock and fear. The sight stung at Ruby's heart and she turned away as new tears formed in her eyes. She slowly lowered her staff and turned back toward the Witch's Hill, toward her home.

"If you know what's good for you you'll leave! Set foot on my hill and I'll have no choice but to finish you," Ruby shouted back coldly. The five stared at her back as she flew away from them, a final tear sliding down her cheek. "_Goodbye…_"

"Ruby!!" Yukari cried after the young woman, her own tears falling freely.

"Dammit, this doesn't get easier, it gets harder!" Danny growled. He built his energy and blasted out of the bindings with a flash of green light.

"Danny we've got to do something!" Yukari begged as the boy cut her out with a glowing finger. "I know she doesn't really want to hurt us. We have to go and help her!"

"Well of course we're gonna go help her," Kurumu shouted. Yukari looked at the succubus in surprise as the girl cut herself free.

"Only a kid would get so worked up over the obvious," Mizore said simply, freezing the ribbon that held her and breaking free.

"But-but I thought you hated Ruby…" Yukari said in disbelief.

"Just because I don't want any more competition over Danny, doesn't mean I hate the girl," Kurumu sighed while Danny cut Moka free. "But I damn sure want to give that arrogant witch a piece of my mind."

Moka stood and extended a hand to Yukari. "Come on," she smiled warmly. "Let's go get our friend back."

Yukari wiped away her tears and nodded. Danny grinned and turned back to the Witch's Hill. "Not like we don't know where she's going…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ruby held tightly to the drink Danny had given her, as if she were trying to protect it. She touched down on the edge of the sunflower field and took a deep breath as she prepared for what she was about to face. Nearby, a flock of crows circled around a lone figure who wore a tattered old brown cloak.

Ruby stood there nervously watching as the large black birds glided around the figure she dreaded facing after what had happened. A single crow flew back down and landed on her shoulder, a flower held gently in its beak. She smiled softly at her familiar and kissed its head. The crow nuzzled against her cheek for a moment before dropping the sunflower in her hand and rejoining its flock. The teen witch took one final deep breath, steeling herself, before stepping into the garden towards the circling murder.

The cloaked figure turned to face Ruby as she drew near. "Ruby…I'm so very disappointed…"

* * *

Sounds like somebody's in trouble. That's right, the mistress has arrived and she's not in a good mood. What could this mean for Ruby, Danny, and the rest of the News Club? You'll have to wait and see. Just a _little _action in this one. More of a setup chapter for next time. Oh, and don't you know I just had to give Ruby the soda, just to great not to. Let's get to the reviews, shall we?

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

**FlaraShadowora:** Thanks for the feedback. You asked why Ruby didn't sense that the others weren't human. Witches can sense auras, but not when a person is in human form. If you read the manga, even Ruby's teacher couldn't sense that the girls weren't human until after they transformed, and she is much more skilled and powerful than Ruby. The only reason Ruby knew Yukari was a witch was because she saw her summon a basin on top of the hill.

**S. Knightshade:** Hope you enjoyed visiting your brother. As I told you in our pm's, you'll have to wait until after the summer break in my story before I can see if I can work it in. I'll keep the Phantom Fire in mind. Oh, and is the wall finished yet?

**Hollowfied:** Checked on your story. Keep it up, I'd like to see something fresh in time.

**Fyrflame:** If you haven't guessed by now, Danny's cold temp will be explained soon. Oh, and that thing you mentioned about freezing Saizou's tongue, must have been another story cause I did no such thing.

**Okami Princess:** Yay, hugs! Yeah last chapter was a lot easier to put together than this one. I think I'm better at fight scenes. Plus the dialogue was easier to write. I'm probably gonna stick with Aura Strike cause it's easier to remember, but you're right, Reiki Degeki sounds good. If it makes you feel better, I'm writing in English but he'll probably be speaking Japanese when he talks about it so...

**kitsune of darkfire:** Amen to that...

**nightdreamer15:** Yep everybody loves the wail. It's coming, but not yet. Just suffice it too say that when it does, you're gonna flip.

**LaZella:** YES! Glad you agree on the manga. I'm all for a hot scene, but like you said, the manga is just so much more epic.

**imagination writer: **Not really sure of what you mean by Vampire/Ghost attacks. I gave him the Aura Strike (big ghost ray two chapters back) which uses his ghost powers with a vampire twist? I'll see about the Fanboy thing. I wanted to write a chapter with them but Danny would have whipped them in seconds. Not much of a chapter... Thanks for the fave!

**Trinity Fenton-Phantom:** Manifesting...for future reference.

**Chaos:** Don't worry about powers, I got it. Oh, and I have the ghost stinger, it's an electric attack. And yes, I do rock don't I? I'm such an arrogant bastard...

**cody sutton:** *takes deep breath* _AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!_ No please don't kill me! I don't wanna _die!!!!_ Here take it! Just take it!!! *face turns serious* You know the irony is I was responding to my reviews when yours showed up. You were just a day away from an update anyway...

That's it for now everyone. I'll get my next one up when I can, but for now just bite your nails in anticipation.


	19. Chapter 19

_I'M ALIIIIIIIVE! _Sorry it took me so long, it's been a rough few weeks and I haven't had the time to write that I would have liked (I'll spare you the details). But I finally got a chance to give you what you've been waitin' for. Chapter 19 is up! Quick note, I have seen several different names for Ruby's teacher and I have no idea which one is 'right'. So I settled for the first one I saw, the one from the anime. Just thought I'd let you know before I got the messages chewing me out for using the wrong name. You people know who you are. Now let's get to it shall we? Enjoy...

* * *

"How could you let yourself be defeated?" Ruby's mistress growled in a low, gravelly voice.

"Lady Oyakata, I-" Ruby tried to explain. Before she could even begin, a vine snapped from beneath the old witch's sleeve. It struck at the young woman's hand, ripping away the drink that Danny had given her.

"Then of all things you let yourself be _saved_ by the very people we are set to _destroy?_" Oyakata spat crushing the can with the vine. Ruby flinched as soda burst everywhere. She felt as though a precious gift had been taken from her. It was like a piece of her heart had been held inside and she clutched at her chest in sadness.

"My Lady, please. I can explain…"

"Explain what?" the cloaked witch screamed. "How your people mean nothing to you! How your _parents _meant nothing to you! How all the training I've given you all these years has meant absolutely _nothing!_"

Before Ruby could protest, another vine snapped forward. It wrapped tightly around the girl's throat, silencing any words she might have had.

"You're a disgrace," Oyakata hissed. "It's seems I need to reeducate you, you foolish little girl."

"Please-forgive-" Ruby choked as the vine wrung her neck. In an instant, more vines whipped forward, tearing bits of her skirt and corset and tangling around her legs, arms, and waist. The long tendrils squeezed the girl tightly, forcing a pained groan from the entangled witch.

"You should know your place Ruby," the old witch growled.

"Hey, that's our line!"

There was a sudden flash of green light that tore through Ruby's binds. The girl dropped to ground, gasping desperately for breath. The two witches looked up in surprise as five figures made their way through the sea of sunflowers. Four girls led by a raven haired boy.

"Danny…" Ruby whispered.

"You must be the humans who ventured onto my hill," Oyakata growled with a feral smile. "What brings you back to my home?"

"Well Ruby kind of up and left on us," Danny replied casually. "We just wanted to make sure she was okay. You must be the 'mistress' she mentioned. Not exactly what I was expecting."

It really wasn't. Danny had expected to see an old woman, but not like this. Beneath her brown cloak he could see a head of bright oily yellow hair, almost like straw, wrapped in a white bandage. Her eyes were sunken in and her pupils were a fierce red that stared at him with pure disdain. What worried him more than her eyes was her skin. It was a strange mix of brown and green that was worn and wrinkled, reminding Danny of the compost pile Sam had out by her green house. Her smile showed her large blackening teeth, all sharpened to points. Last of all were her hands, one of which held a large, ancient looking book with a blue crystal in its center. The other hand was where the vines had surfaced from, peeling back the woman's yellow nails as the tendrils sprouted from the flesh beneath.

Definitely not what Danny was expecting.

"What's wrong with her?" the ghost boy whispered to Yukari. "She looks more like a monster than a witch."

"It's some kind of transformation spell, like the one that gave Ruby wings," Yukari said. Her voice trembled as she saw what one of her kind had become.

"You are not what I expected either," Oyakata said. "To think such a powerful young witch is wasting her time with you weak humans." Suddenly, it was like a fearsome wind swept over the five friends. The old witch's energy whipped against them like a storm, nearly knocking them off their feet. It was all Danny could do to stand as the mystic aura froze the very blood in his veins. "It's not too late young one," Oyakata smiled at Yukari. Her aura eased as she extended her earth-like hand toward the small girl. Her voice even gained a gentler tone. "You can join us and be with your own people at last. These inferior beings are nothing before us. Come, and we will exterminate those who have done us wrong."

Yukari shuddered as she stared at the older woman. She shifted closer to Danny, who put a protective hand around her. Oyakata hung her head, a brief look of sorrow crossing her features before the hood of her robe hid her disappointed eyes.

"I see. Pity…" she sighed. "Then I suppose you'll have to join your humans _in their graves!_"

The cloaked witch raised her tome into the air, the gem at its center glowing brightly.

"Here she comes!" Mizore yelled, ready to fight back.

"No," Danny gasped a wisp of blue. "That aura's not coming from her!"

"Look! The sunflower…!" Moka shouted. She pointed at an exceptionally large flower that stood inches in front of the old sorceress. The ground at its base began to rise up as the blossom began to wither.

"Sunflower?" Oyakata scoffed in amusement as the confused students stared. "Hardly… You see, botany is a hobby of mine. With my magic to care for them I have raised this creature for quite some time…"

The flower was gone, shriveled up leaving only one long green stalk waving back and forth like the tail of a cat waiting for a mouse to appear. Suddenly an enormous green claw burst out of the dirt. A ridged looking body began to follow like a dark green exoskeleton. The strange four legged beast leapt high into the air with the strength of a lion, ripping a grotesque head with several red, pool-like eyes and a mouth like the plants Ruby had summoned only a few hours before.

"This is one of my Hanabake, a man-eating plant!" Oyakata cackled as her beast stared at its prey with its empty red eyes. "Now my pet, enjoy your meal!"

The hanabake leapt forward, swinging its massive claw at Danny. The group barely managed to dodge before the monster struck the ground where he had stood. Kurumu and Mizore leapt to the front of the group to protect their friends as the creature turned toward them again.

"Guys wait!" Danny shouted before stepping in front of the two girls.

Oyakata chuckled, halting the hanabake with a whim of her magic. "Last words human?"

"Listen, we just came for Ruby," Danny sighed. He really wanted to wipe that smug grin off her face, but it was clear that starting a fight would be giving her just what she wanted. "We want to help you save this hill, but this isn't how to do it. Come on, just talk to u-!"

Before Danny could finish the hanabake struck again. Its tail shot forward, striking the halfa across the jaw with the speed and strength of a bullwhip. Danny dropped to the dirt as he felt the blow crack against his cheek. He spat red from his bleeding mouth and turned back to the cloaked witch. All the girls gathered around the halfa in concern as he slowly climbed back to his feet. It was all he could do to keep his ghostly energy under control in his anger.

"You think you can weasel out of this?" Oyakata sneered. "How predictably cowardly of a human. We know your kind and its lies too well and you do not deserve such sentiment."

Danny sighed and to turned to the younger witch beside the woman. "Is that what you think Ruby?"

Everyone froze. Even the plant beast looked curiously at the young woman. Ruby looked from person to person, lost in her confusion. Oyakata however knew her position on the matter.

"Of course she does. She-"

"I wasn't talking to you, you pissed off old hag!"

Everyone went wide eyed at Danny's exclamation. Oyakata's eye twitched in fury. No one had ever dared speak to her in such a way and now this boy, this _human_ had been insolent enough to talk down to her? How dare he! What gave him the right? What gave him the nerve? _And_ _why the hell couldn't she bring herself to talk back?_

Danny never took his eyes from Ruby's, staring at her firmly but softly. He walked calmly toward her, ignoring the confused hanabake as he passed. "Ruby, I saw the regret in your eyes when you attacked us on the beach. You could have killed us, but you didn't. If you really think we're as bad as she says, we'll leave and you'll never have to see us again. But I want you to tell me honestly that you hate humans. That you hate _us._ That there is no chance we can ever be friends…"

"Danny…" Ruby sobbed, struggling to fight back tears. "I-I can't-I don't-"

"_ENOUGH!_" Oyakata screamed. She raised her spell book as it glowed threateningly. The hanabake snapped to attention behind Danny and leapt toward him, its jaws opening to tear into the halfa…

"_NO!_"

A single black blade sped by Danny's head, stabbing deep into the beasts chest. Ruby raced forward, her black wings bursting from her back and sharpening into deadly razors. The flailing creature was dragged torward her where it met a quick end as Ruby's feathers sliced the creature to shreds in a spray of chlorophyll blood.

"Ruby…" Oyakata gaped as her apprentice protected the human boy. "Why…?"

"My Lady, is war really the only way left for us?" Ruby smiled through watery eyes. "I want to believe. I want to believe in Danny and his friends."

Oyakata stared at her adopted daughter in utter disbelief. Her lip quivered in regret as her final ally, the girl she'd raised for years, sided with the enemies she had hated for over a century. "Ruby…"

The teen witch turned back to Danny, inspecting his injured cheek. "Are you okay?"

Danny smiled back at her as the others ran up to join them. "I told you earlier, I've had-"

Danny's eyes grew as big as saucers as a steel hard vine pierced through Ruby's back and out her chest.

"-worse…"

"Ruby!" Yukari screamed in horror.

"Pathetic…" Oyakata spat, hatred burning in her voice. "After all these years I can't believe you would disappoint me so completely. No matter, I don't need you to destroy the humans."

"Are you insane?" Danny shouted, holding the bleeding Ruby in his arms. "She's been with you for years, doing anything you ask, and you try and kill her just like that?"

"I have no compassion for traitor's boy!" the old witch replied. "If she has chosen to side with humans, then she shall share in their fate."

A chill the likes of which Danny had never felt tore through his body. The hairs on the back of his neck snapped to attention as his blood ran cold. Blue mist poured from his mouth without him even taking a breath. He looked around in increasing fear as he felt the cold press down on him from all directions.

"You have got to be kidding me…"

The ground rumbled beneath the small group of friends. All around them the sunflowers began to wither. The girls watched in terrified realization as the flowers stalks began to wave menacingly back and forth. Oyakata laughed in crazed glee, her tome shining brighter than ever as her army exploded from the earth.

"Well, that explains the vibe this place gave me before," Danny gulped.

"Rise my children!" Oyakata cackled as her magic called forth her army of plant demons. "Our moment has arrived! With the coming of the dawn we shall end the human's vile city! But tonight, we weed our own garden. Devour these fools who have dared to stand in our way!"

"Wait!" Ruby cried, forcing herself to stand. She held her bleeding chest as she begged desperately with her mistress. "Lady Oyakata, please calm yourself. Peace is all we ever hoped for. Danny and the others have shown me that humans can live in peace with us. But if we go to war, what hope is there for any of us?"

A look of sadness passed over the old mentors face for a fleeting moment before her hood once again hid her from view. "Ruby," the old woman muttered. "I raised you as my own. Trained you and turned you into a truly powerful witch. I show you the darkness in the human's hearts and this is how you repay me?" she spat, her eyes flashing with rage. "_YOU INGRATE!_"

A line of hanabakes charged forward. The ground rumbled like thunder as the green beasts stampeded toward their prey. Their void red eyes locked on all six at once, trying to decide which one would be devoured first. With a burst of speed one raced ahead of the others. More chased after it, determined to get a piece of the feast. The first hanabake leapt forward, opening its jaws wide…

"Enough of this crap!"

With a flash of pink the first beasts were ripped apart. The other creatures stopped in their tracks, stunned at what they saw. Before them stood a busty bluenette, her nails long and sharp as daggers. She flicked her wrist, splattering the green blood of the hanabake corpses at her feet.

"_What?_" Oyakata gawked at Kurumu in utter shock. "S_he has a demonic aura! She's a monster?_"

"Stupid cow," Mizore sighed. "That's what I was gonna do."

"Two slow Snowball," Kurumu smirked.

Mizore said nothing. She simply placed her hand on the ground. Moments later icicles burst from the ground, rushing by the succubus and impaling dozens more monsters. She grinned smugly at Kurumu, "Now whose slow?"

"_Another one?_" Oyakata gaped.

"Is that the best you two can do?" Yukari asked playfully. With a wave of her wand her tarot cards flew. And like before, they slashed through the plant creatures with ease, slaying a huge number in seconds. They sliced through Mizore's ice shards, reducing them to small pieces and finishing the few hanabakes still alive. Yukari giggled in glee. "I win again!"

"What's wrong with all of you?" Oyakata shrieked. "Why do you fight for humans and traitors? You are demons who have suffered the same outrages I have, so why do you defend them?"

"That's simple…" Mizore replied, her ice claws appearing from her sleeves.

"We didn't come here to fight…" Yukari continued as her cards began to circle her.

"But we won't let you raise a hand against Danny!" Kurumu declared. Her wings and tail ripped their way out of her back.

Danny sighed in amusement, despite the situation. "You guys are hopeless," he chuckled. "Moka stay with Ruby. See if you can do anything for that wound."

"Right," Moka nodded helping the teen witch away from the battlefield.

"Danny I'm so sorry," Ruby said in shame. "This is all my fault."

"No Ruby," Danny climbed back to his feet and turned away from her, toward the army of monsters. "She's the one who wants a fight so bad. We tried playing nice, but if she wants to 'weed the garden'," there was a bright flash of white light and Ruby was forced to shield her eyes. When she opened them again, Danny was wearing a black and silver jumpsuit and his hair had turned snow white.

"Let's play weed wacker…"

Oyakata gaped in awed shock as two massive bursts of green energy ripped by either side of her. She stared at the boy in wonder as the strange green energy tore through her servants with ease. The creatures backed away cautiously, afraid to anger this new threat further as he walked toward their mistress.

"_What on earth is he?_" the old witch wondered. "_I've never felt such a strange mix of energies. A spirit? No, his aura is that of a ghost. But so few ghosts have an aura of this caliber, except for the most ancient or malicious of them. That would explain the potential mystic aura, but I can sense demonic power as well. When a demon becomes a ghost they don't retain those energies. What the hell is this?_"

"Hey Danny," Yukari called to the ghost boy. "You know that handy little trick from before where you magically knew how many enemies there were? Do you know how many of these things there are?"

"More or less," Danny said hesitantly. "And you don't wanna know."

Kurumu chuckled. "No seriously Danny…"

"Seriously?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't wanna know."

"Less talking, more fighting," Mizore said before stabbing her claw through head of one of the monsters.

"_That's one down. 300,000 to go…_" Danny fired his ghost ray into the horde of creatures, blasting a number of them into oblivion. "_And counting…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

The next ten minutes was a flurry of slashing, blasting, and exploding hanabake corpses. Kurumu dropped out of the sky, slicing two more in half. She was breathing hard as she straitened back up and faced the largest horde. There was a sudden screech behind her and Kurumu gasped as two more pounced at her. She turned desperately, knowing she wouldn't be able to counter in time…

Suddenly the beasts screamed in pain as three lightning fast luminescent blurs ruptured the hanabakes chest cavities. The dead plants crumbled to the ground in front of her. The succubus watched as the projectiles that had saved her circled back and joined the other cards that floated around a winded Yukari.

"What's wrong Kurumu?" Yukari managed to laugh. "Is that load of yours slowing you down?"

"A little," the bluenette smirked. "First time I've been jealous of you for lacking one. But at least I make this fighting look good."

"Why aren't you idiots paying attention?"

With a flash of blue and white another wave of monsters were frozen solid in one massive block of ice. Mizore jumped over the wall and slammed her claw into it. The ice fractured, cracking all the way to the ground. A moment later, the artic prison shattered, reducing the hanabakes to frozen chunks.

"Besides, if we're talking breasts, I won't be losing to anybody," the snow woman added, a hint of mischief in her voice. Yukari pouted, feeling a pang envy when she saw the two girls sweat drenched shirts showing off the girls assests.

"All that baggy clothing, I didn't know you had such a nice pair," Kurumu admitted as she danced through a swarm of man-eaters, her nails leaving nothing but bleeding opponents that withered and died. "But mine are still biggest and best."

"I believe the saying goes 'bigger isn't always better'" Mizore countered, firing a storm of frozen spears onto another dying wave of enemies. "And it's not like I'm some baby with pimples for boobs."

"You guys are jerks!" Yukari whined as some of her magic ribbons appeared and hogtied an advancing troop.

"Focus ladies! We can have the wet t-shirt contest later," Danny shouted. He tried to keep his cheerful attitude, but the fact was, he was in poor shape. It felt like his limbs were tied to cinderblocks. His wounds might have healed thanks to Moka's blood injection, but the sites of the attack still ached to move. It was only made worse by the cold sensation that still flowed through his body and slowed his actions. Every time he felt the hanabake's closing in on him his body shivered violently, sending more pain through his weary frame.

Still, he wasn't going to let the girls fight without him. He held two hanabakes by the throat, each one trying desperately to bite into the halfa. A flash of green light later and the beasts were no more. Another charged forward, its fangs dripping with hunger. Danny reflexively went for intangibility…only to have the creature bite down on his shoulder.

"_DANNY!_" all the girls screamed in unison as soon as they heard the boy's cry of pain.

"Dammit, that still hurts!" Danny shouted with a surge of his ghost stinger. The man-eater shrieked as the electric attack jolted its body. It released its grip and dropped, writhing in pain. Danny fired his ghost ray point blank, completely annihilating the creature.

The girls gasped in fear as Danny fell to a knee, his shoulder bleeding a ghostly green. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari rushed to his side, plowing through the unlucky demons foolish enough to get in their way. The succubus and snow woman tore into the monsters circling their fallen friend, looking to take advantage of his injury. Yukari dropped down next to him and immediately went to inspecting his wound. Moka and Ruby followed, running through the path the others had carved.

"_What's wrong with him?_" Yukari thought. "_Are his wounds from earlier that bad? Danny was so much stronger before._"

"Danny, are you okay?" Moka gulped when she saw the punctures in the boys shoulder.

"I'll live…" he grunted as his ghost sense sent another shiver through his body. "I just wish I knew why my intangibility is always screwing up in the middle of a fight."

"Let me try to heal you," Ruby said pulling out her wand.

"No!" Danny snapped when he noticed her own shoulder that had been bandaged with a strip of Moka's dress. "If you're gonna heal someone worry about yourself."

"I don't understand why any of you are fighting me at all," Oyakata proclaimed. "All of you appear to be such powerful demons. So why is it that you all insist on fighting for the humans? Surely you have all suffered like I have, so why do you persist?"

"We don't have to explain ourselves to you," Mizore hissed as she and Kurumu finished the last of the nearby enemies.

The old witch sighed in aggravation. She opened her ancient book, the pages fluttering as the archaic letters gleamed with light. "I see, then perhaps I should explain why you are so misguided…"

Everyone shielded their eyes when the ground suddenly erupted with light. The hanabakes growled and snapped at the six of them but held their place as the lengthening shadows began to rise and twist off the ground forming strange shapes. The light beneath them began to shift as well, turning hard and rigid as it made a mess of the landscape. With one final flash, the light completely blinded them. When it finally faded away the group looked around in horror to see mountains of trash all around them. Splintered wood and scraps of metal littered the earth. Piles of broken glass and rotting food stretched for miles in every direction. Behind Oyakata, eight massive pillars reached toward the blackened sky, choked by the tons of smoke that they spewed forth. The six cringed in disgust at the sight.

"Do you see?" the cloaked witch cried with conviction. "This is what the humans want to reduce the Witch's Hill to. A place that has been a refuge for my kind for over a century!" Oyakata screamed, though the sadness in her voice was clear. "This garden was our home when the humans left us with nothing. They tried to exterminate us like _cockroaches!_ They would turn our haven into a garbage dump! Just like everything else they touch, the forests burn, the animals are slaughtered, the humans take what they please and all they leave is _trash!_"

Danny stared at her in bewilderment. He closed his eyes, trying to fight the back the truth in her words at the carelessness of his kind. Something he was all too guilty of…

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sam, come on. We're gonna be late for the movie," Danny growled in annoyance as his gothic friend looked bitterly at the construction zone.

"Can you believe this?" Sam yelled, ignoring him. "Two days ago there was a perfectly good park here. And now where is it?"

"Uh, torn down, paved over, and soon to be replaced by a super cool outlet mall?" Tucker offered playfully.

"You say that like it's a good thing!" the goth shouted. "We've already got one mall in this town, why the hell would we need another?"

"Sam, do you have to do this every time they cut down a tree?" Danny sighed.

"Danny, this is the same problem that's happening all over the world. Humans are tearing down our ecosystems for a bunch of pointless stores and parking lots. Don't you get that?"

"Get what?" Danny sighed again. "I think what you don't get is people are always finding more things that we need. If we have to build over a few deserted places then no one is going to care. There's nothing wrong with a little progress."

"Besides, who wants to go to a park when this place is gonna have a super cool arcade?" Tucker pointed out.

"Like you don't have enough video games at home," Sam shot off. "Plus the other mall has _two_ arcades. And the movie theater doesn't make you buy a ticket to play the games in the lobby…"

"Speaking of movies, I'm going to go see ours before I miss the opening," Danny started backing away. "You are welcome to sit there and vent or you can come with me. Either way, it's not like we're hurting anybody…"

XXXXXXXXXX

That was two years ago. Sam had been preaching her beliefs for years and Danny had just shrugged her off as overdramatic. But here was proof. A human, a witch, a _person_ was about to have the home she'd loved for years taken away from her and turned into a junkyard. This wasn't progress, and someone _was_ getting hurt. Danny was disgusted with himself for how stubborn he'd been. No, not stubborn, heartless.

The girls gasped as a white ring appeared around Danny. As it passed over him, he was returned to human form, his aura fading instantly. The girls all made to help, thinking his injuries had forced him to change but he raised a hand signaling them to halt, and they obeyed. He stepped toward Oyakata holding his injured shoulder, the hanabakes stared at the now crimson blood hungrily as he approached, but the invisible leash of their mistresses held them fast. Danny hung his head in shame, staring at the broken soda can at his feet.

"I'm sorry…"

"You're what?" Oyakata said in surprise.

"I understand why you hate humans," the halfa answered solemnly. "We turn a blind eye to others suffering if we think it will benefit us even in the slightest. I know I have…"

"You said 'we'?" the old witch asked in surprise.

"We…" Danny nodded. "I was born a human. And now I'm half-human, half-ghost." Danny's eyes shone neon green for a moment to emphasize his point. "But you're wrong if you think all humans want is destruction," he continued, his ice blue stare returning and pleading with her. "A lot of them are doing this for jobs to support their families. Others would be pissed to see what is happening to your hill. They aren't guilty of anything!"

"Do you have a point, boy?" Oyakata growled.

"Yeah," Danny said taking a deep breath. "We want to help you protect this hill, I meant that. But personally, I don't think you even care anymore. I mean look at what you've done to your 'refuge'," the halfa shouted, motioning to the army of man-eaters. "This is about payback. Well those people in that city aren't guilty of plotting against you or despising you. They just don't know what they are doing to you. Call this whole thing off while you can and…" Danny bit his lip before he finished, "…and you can take your revenge out on me…"

"Danny no!" Moka cried as the girls gasped in frightened shock.

"You guys stay out of this!" Danny shouted back at them. "What do you say lady? I'm as guilty as anyone in that city. I'm a human too. Only difference is that I can take it! We'll save your home, the people will be safe, and you'll have someone you can take your hatred out on for a good long time. You can do anything you want to me, just leave them alone! So, we got a deal…?"

Oyakata stared at the boy's determined eyes in confusion. This kid was willing to give up everything he had just to attempt to fix an unrightable wrong. She looked back at the equally surprised girls who had followed him here. The ones who had said they would never forgive her for attacking him. Even Ruby, who by some miracle or trickery had been talked into betraying her, was stunned by this young man's sacrifice. Last of all, Oyakata looked to the pink haired girl, the one who had done nothing this entire time. As she watched the young woman cry for the boy, an idea wormed its way into the old witch's head.

"Alright…" Oyakata smirked. "Let's test that resolve of yours…"

Vines flew from her hand with incredible speed and accuracy. Danny flinched but held his place as they flew toward him, expecting the tendrils to strike him like a whip. He was surprised to see them pass by him…and wrap around Moka's neck.

"Moka!" Danny shouted as the vampire girl was dragged by him. She flew through the air toward the cloaked sorceress and hung helplessly in front of her, the cords around her neck just lack enough to let the girl breathe.

"If you wish to help in my suffering, then let us see how you bear my pain," Oyakata chuckled darkly. "We'll start with how you suffer the loss of those precious to you…"

"You sick bitch," Danny growled.

"Does that mean our deal is off?" the old witch sneered. "Just as I thought, a liar to the end. You're happy to claim repentance if the feeling suits you, but when you have to face the consequences, you try to squirm your way out!"

"Danny, it's okay…" Moka interrupted. Everyone turned in surprise to the young vampire who smiled warmly at the halfa. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. You're the reason all of us are here. You showed all of us, even Ruby, that we _can_ live in peace. Now you just have to show her…"

"Silence you damned girl!" Oyakata spat in rage. "You should have kept your filthy mouth shut! Now-"

"Now _what?_" Danny shouted. He raised his right hand, glowing with ghostly energy. "I am officially sick of listening to you! I tried being the nice guy, I tried wearing you down, and then I tried being the sacrifice, but it's just not enough for you. Now, we're just gonna beat the shit out of you! And Moka…?" Danny's eyes instantly softened as he turned to the girl. He smiled at her, the same grin that always let her know that everything would be alright. "Like I'm really gonna let you die…"

Danny's glowing fingers curled back toward him. As they did, the rosary on Moka's neck flew toward the boy, snapping of its chain. His smile grew wider as a familiar blast of aura filled the air.

"What the-?" Oyakata gasped as a powerful dark light burst from the girl. Before she could even finish her thought she felt a tremendous pain driven into her side. The old witch flew backward, crashing heavily along the ground. She came to a painful stop and looked back at where she had stood as her illusion collapsed around her.

Inner Moka smirked at the fallen sorceress as the old woman lay in the dirt. She tore away a piece of her dress from her shoulder that had been ripped when she delivered the kick to the aged witch. Her crimson eyes stared down at the woman as her powerful aura filled the air.

"Sorry you hag but I'm not like the others," the vampire chuckled darkly. "Danny was right. Blood is what you seek. Well blood is something I understand."

Oyakata sneered as blood flowed from her mouth. "And here I thought you might actually be human and it turns out you are the most powerful of all," she sighed though her grin never left her. "Figures… But you shouldn't underestimate me little girl. I've had enough of you annoying fools for one night. If you really want to pull out all the stops, I'll show just how futile your efforts are."

Oyakata slammed her hand down on her spellbook. The gem in the center glowed brighter than ever, making the dark hill glow even brighter than when Moka had released her seal. The hanabakes looked back toward their mistress as an unheard call echoed through their feral minds. The army of creatures rushed toward the bright light like bugs drawn to a flame. They became an enormous shadow against the glow, their red eyes blazing from the darkness as they glared in every possible direction.

"No my lady…" Ruby whispered in horror. "_NOOOOOO!_"

Danny was faintly aware of the girl's terrified scream but it was lost to him. The boy dropped to the ground, the witch's cry echoing in his mind as his eyes rolled back into his head…

* * *

And that's where it ends for the moment. *dodges flying pillow* Now, now, I will do my best to get another chapter up soon. *dodges flying seat cushion* Look I'm sorry about the cliffhanger, don't be upset with- _HOLY SHI-!_ *gets leveled by flying couch*

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_Reviews..._

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Thanks again to all my reviewers! (even the ones who throw couches at me)

**FlaraShadowora:** I couldn't resist the sweet irony of matching Danny getting his ice powers against a giant plant creature like in the show. No point in hiding it, everyone already knows by now anyway. As you can see, Oyakata is alive. Like it better than Ruby going psycho. Now as for your villans, I've already got plans for one of them in a future chapter (not gonna say which). Hope this chapter fit your expectations better.

**Zenith010:** Thanks for the mad praise. It's reviews like yours that get me the through the rough times. I can't give you too much in answer to your question about Moka. I will however say this, it will come up again.

**smlyttle:** My story takes from both the manga and anime. Helps make it original, and that way I can take my favorite parts from each.

**Gamma:** You know, I never noticed how I'd left the other girls at Yokai out. I was so focused on following the plot I guess it never really occured to me. Thanks, I'll try and bring that up later.

**Toa Naruto:** Danny might have family visit at Halloween. Maybe...

**Thozmp Corris: **Clockwork, huh? Hehe, oh I've got plans regarding him, and I think everyone will flip when he makes his entrance.

**baltz00:** Thanks dude. You want your hint, look up one response and that should be enough.

**Angel Cullen Mew Chimera:** Can't really answer the ghoul question yet, my whole spoiler policy. But as for Amity Park, you're gonna find out _very _soon.

Hope you liked the latest instalment. With summer here, hopefully I'll be able to work more on my chapters. At the very least, I'm gonna try and get the next one up in the next week or so to finish things in the Witches Hill arc. Until next time, this is Ghost Fang signing off.


	20. Chapter 20

Let's save the color commentary for the end, shall we? But for those of you who like songfics, I added one to this chapter. Have _When I'm Gone_ by 3 Doors Down ready and I have the place marked where to start it up. Now here it is, the exciting conclusion to the Witch's Hill arc!

* * *

The army of hanabakes continued swarming to their mistress. They melted and melded together, their forms becoming indistinguishable from one another as they became one enormous mass of mushy green flesh and shining red eyes. At the center of the chaos, a mad cackle rang out over the roaring beasts and echoed through the air.

Ruby looked down on the scene in disbelief. She held her throbbing shoulder as her six wings carried her over the bubbling mess that had engulfed her mentor. For what felt like the hundredth time that night the girl's eyes overflowed and covered her face with tears. She gripped her wand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. On the ground, the four other girls stared up at the same twisted commotion. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari watched in horror as countless sets of jaws opened from the green mass, the millions of fangs smiling at them wickedly. Moka's crimson eyes never faltered as she stood defiantly before the thing that had begun to take shape in front of her.

It was enormous. Four large muscular arms extended from its body. Dozens of vine-like tentacles, some larger than redwoods, waved menacingly, shattering the ground around it. Millions of red eyes looked in every direction at once. The torso was covered in huge drooling mouths that covered virtually every inch of its body. At the heart of the creature, one final maw opened wide.

Oyakata was in the beast's mouth. Her cloak had been torn away to reveal the woman covered in bandages and bindings. Her skin had turned completely green and her hands and legs had ceased to exist having fused into the tongue. In front of her, her spellbook had also merged to the pink flesh, glowing with mystic energies. The ancient witch smiled down at the girls from her monstrous form, Moka in particular.

"Wha-what is this?" Kurumu muttered in awe and fear.

"The merge…" Yukari whispered, more out of shock than response. "A spell that fuses a witch with another being so as to incorporate its powers. Once used, the caster can never return to their original form…"

"That's why she looked so strange earlier," Mizore surmised. "She had already merged with at least one of them to strengthen her body. Figures since she was so old."

"Yeah, but she was tough enough before," Kurumu replied nervously. "How do we beat her when she's fused with like…a thousand of those freaky weeds?"

"You don't," Moka said flatly. "The three of you will just be in the way. That goes for you too Danny, you're injured."

She had expected the boy to object, but was instead met with silence. With Danny, silence was never good.

"Danny?" Moka looked around for the young man. She found him…lying curled up on the ground. "Danny!"

In a flash Moka was at his side. The other girls saw the boy and rushed after the vampire. He was lying on his side, hugging his legs tightly to his chest. He was unconscious in his human form, his breath coming out in short, strained wheezes. With each rasp, blue mist poured from his lips like water. The ground he lay on was covered by a white ring that was slowly creeping further and further out. The air around him was chilled, the temperature dropping by several degrees. Moka placed a hand on his shoulder to try and wake him.

"AAHHH!" she screamed pulling back her hand. It had instantly been frozen in a block of ice the moment she touched him.

"What's wrong with him?" Yukari cried as the others arrived. She hugged herself tightly as she felt the chill. "And why is it so cold?"

"It's Danny," Moka said in confusion. The vampire didn't let surprise hinder her and extended her demonic aura and shattered the ice. She curled her fingers, trying to get the feeling back."Whatever happened to him has made his body like liquid nitrogen. I can't even touch him."

"Let me try," Mizore said bending over him. She placed her hands on the ghost boy. Instantly she felt the ice try to overtake her but was able to use her own powers to keep it at bay. "_This is cold, even by my standards…_" she thought in surprise.

"Well?" Kurumu asked nervously.

"Well what? I can touch him, doesn't mean I know how to help!" she snapped angrily at the succubus, her thoughts clouded by worry.

"What is this?" Oyakata cackled. She had watched them curiously but tired of being ignored. "Has the boy lost control of his powers? How typical of a weak little human!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Moka spat, her aura twisting around her in rage. As soon as she did Danny went into a powerful coughing fit. He gasped for air, only to have it freeze in his lungs. Moka turned back to him, realization dawning on her she quickly dropping her aura. As she expected Danny's breathing immediately became easier, though still strained. "It's her… Her aura is causing Danny's ghost sense to do this!"

"What? But it's never hurt him before!" Kurumu shouted, her fear for the halfa growing.

"It's never been this bad before," Moka explained. "Thousands of auras from those demons and now they've merged into one colossal power. It's more power than even I would have thought possible. Now his ghost sense is out of control, and every aura in the area is hurting him, even ours."

"What do we do?" Yukari squeaked.

"Mizore, you are the only one who can touch Danny. I don't care if you have to drag him, just get him to safety," the vampire instructed.

"Right," the snow woman nodded.

"And the rest of us?" Kurumu asked.

"Help her if you can," Moka ordered as she walked toward Oyakata. "I'm going to stop what's hurting Danny…"

The ancient witch roared with insane laughter. "Is that so girl? You still wish to fight me after what I have become? You must have a death wish!"

"Silence!" Moka hissed in fury. "Before you were merely a nuisance to me. Now, your very existence threatens Danny. So I will just have to end it…"

"No," Oyakata smirked as she raised one massive arm into the air. "The only one who will be ended _is you!_"

A huge vine blasted out of the creatures hand like a rocket. Moka had not expected such speed from the massive beast and barely managed to leap to the side in time. The effort was wasted however as moments later another enormous tentacle swung straight down, driving the girl into the dirt with earth shattering force.

"Moka!" Yukari cried, barely keeping on her feet after the thundering crash broke the earth around them.

"Don't worry about her," Kurumu said grabbing the young witch before she could go check on the vampire girl.

"But-" Yukari began.

"But nothing," Mizore cut her off. "Our job is to get Danny out of here. Moka can take care of herself. See?"

Moka was already climbing to her feet. The vampire wiped away the blood that trickled from her lips. Nothing was broken, though she couldn't remember the last time she had been in this much pain. She stared at the witch with pure hatred, her crimson eyes reflecting the bloodlust she felt toward the old woman.

"Still alive I see," Oyakata laughed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. So much power, the eyes, the hair, you can only be a vampire…"

"Well, aren't you astute," Moka scoffed.

"A monster that can turn its enormous aura into pure physical strength," the old witch grinned, a wicked glint in her eye. "I must have that power!"

Moka smirked. "I think that can be arranged…"

She was off like a shot. The girl was a blur as she rushed toward the demon witch. Another tremendous vine burst toward her, but this time Moka was ready. She leapt up, landing gracefully on the tendril and racing up it towards Oyakata. The vine shook violently in an attempt to throw the woman as more reached out for her but the vampire jumped from branch to branch using it as a stairway to her target. With one last powerful leap she closed the distance, her leg swinging with blinding speed.

"Be gone," Moka growled as she delivered a deadly blow to the old woman's face. She felt the skull give way, collapsing under the explosive force of her aura kick. The vampire let herself drop, planning to get back to Danny as quickly as possible now that the threat had been neutralized.

Or so she thought.

Before she had fallen two feet, a vine whipped out and ensnared her arm. Quick as a flash, three more had grabbed her other limbs and held her spread-eagle in the air. Moka watched in shock as Oyakata turned toward her, smiling at the vampire with half her face caved in.

"I'm not going anywhere," the demon witch chuckled. Moka's eyes grew wide as the woman's crushed face mushed itself back into its original shape.

"_There's no bone…_" Moka gasped. "_She's too soft for physical attacks. I can't hurt her!_"

"Now as I was saying," Oyakata sneered. "You have something I want…"

Moka flinched as she felt a sudden stabbing pain in her arm. She looked in shock at her left shoulder where one of Oyakata's vines had pierced her skin. The girl cringed in pain and disgust as the tendril wormed its way under her flesh, crawling ever higher as it began to drain the blood from her body.

"Incredible, isn't it," the demon witch cackled as she felt new energy flood through her body. "This is what this form is truly capable of! I can merge with countless beings and take their strength and abilities for myself. I am truly invincible!" A wicked glint shone in the witch's eye as she smiled at Moka. "And I must have more…"

"Look out!" Yukari cried as a mass of whip-like vines rained down on the girls. Her warning came an instant too late. Kurumu and Mizore had had their full attention on getting Danny to safety and never saw the tendrils. Kurumu was pierced in the left leg, Mizore in her right shoulder. Yukari tried to jump out of the way but was too slow. A vine snapped around her wrist and injected itself into her forearm before the three girls were dragged into the air.

"Mmmm, yes!" Oyakata moaned as she began to drain the power from all four. "So much power, such delicious quality!" Her eyes fixed on Danny, his form still unresponsive and shivering. "And now for the rarest one. I don't know what you are boy but with all the energies you have, this should be most promising."

Another swarm of vines shot toward the defenseless boy. Oyakata held nothing back. The teen was already suffering, may as well end his tortured existence quickly. He lay there gasping for breath, unaware of the approaching danger that would end his life and suck his body dry.

"_STOP!"_

Ruby swooped down from nowhere, throwing herself between Danny and her former teacher. The vines ripped through her body, impaling her at least a dozen times. Her wand and wings were torn apart, hanging limply at her side, all completely useless now. The wings crumbled into a pile of black feathers as the magic supporting them faded away. Blood poured from Ruby's lips as she looked up sadly at her horrified mentor.

"Ruby…" the old witch gaped at the girl's sacrifice, her voice trembling in disbelief. "Why…?"

"My…la…dy…" Ruby whispered. And then she spoke no more as the light left her eyes.

"_RUBYYYYYYY!_" Oyakata's scream of anguish filled the night sky. She pulled her adopted daughter into the air, the desire to be with the girl all that was fueling her. The demon witch held the young girl over her beasts massive jaw…and swallowed her whole.

"No…" Yukari sobbed, her voice cracking.

"Yes Ruby, I can feel you," Oyakata smiled, though her eyes ran freely with tears. "Your power becoming one with my own… This is how it should be. The two of us, together forever. Now we can destroy the humans together like we always intended. And we'll be more powerful than ever!"

Moka looked around her in horror. Ruby had been devoured. The three girls who were the closest thing she had to friends hung limply around her as the life was ripped from their bodies. She herself was suspended there as well, her own strength fading as the demon witch pumped the blood from her veins. And the only one who might be able to save them, a man she might actually care for, lay on the ground, cold and helpless.

Something slid down Moka's cheek, something the girl couldn't remember ever having felt in her true form. A tear. Her weary eyes turned back to the boy as the lone drop of water ran down her pale face. One simple thing escaped her lips, her voice less than a whisper…

"_Danny…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Cold…so cold…

Danny floated through the black abyss of his mind, his body curled tightly for warmth that never came. His strength had all but left him, his muscles straining just to keep him shivering for so long in an effort to fight against the relentless chill. With each moment he grew weaker, the pain of his injuries coupled with his fatigue only making one thing all the more obvious…

He was going to die. There was no way he could deny it. He just hoped that the end would come quickly and end this agony.

"_Danny…_"

"_Moka?_" the boy gasped, his voice a strained, cracking sob as he tried desperately to call out for help. He strained to open his eyes, the ice of his frozen tears trying to deny him even that much as they held them closed. With an effort that proved almost impossible the halfa's eyelids opened, breaking away the frost that covered them.

His sight was blurry. Even now all he could see was darkness but now it seemed to echo as his dizzy mind tried to comprehend something in the infinite shadow. Finally something became clear, a red light in the blackness that began to grow larger and brighter. Danny prayed that the light would offer some warmth, but it was cold as the power that gripped him now. It was then that he realized just what he was looking at…and that they were looking back.

A pair of enormous red eyes stared at him. Their gaze was as cold and ruthless as an arctic sea. The slit that ran through them seemed to slice into his very being as the beautiful and intricate crimson watched the trembling boy. There was no doubt who it was they belonged to…

"_Moka…_" Danny sobbed again.

"_What's wrong with you Danny?_" the eyes asked sternly in the vampire's voice. "_Is this all you can do is sit here and cower?_"

"_I'm cold…_" he whispered back.

"_No duh, Sherlock!_" a second voice rang out from the eyes. Danny knew that voice all too well. It was the voice of a young man who was brash, loud, and far too arrogant for his own good…

It was his own voice.

"_I can't believe that I'm such a wimp that I fall apart when it gets a little nippy,_" his voice sighed.

"_Shut up,_" Danny growled, though it lacked even an ounce of threat.

"_Or you'll what, shiver on me?_" his voice chuckled.

"_Pathetic,_" a third spat. This voice Danny had never heard before. It was male, kind of gravely, and clearly angry.

No, not angry…annoyed.

"_Who are you?_" Danny choked out.

The third voice ignored him. "_You take down someone like Kuyou with a single blow and now the mere sight of this old woman leaves you a trembling heap._"

"_I had Moka's power then,_" Danny tried to argue.

"_And you have it now,_" Moka replied. "_I gave you my blood a few hours ago to save you. You never released its power and it still lies within you. This cold has been suppressing it until now, but you can change that!_"

"_I can't move. I'm tired,_" Danny said simply, tightening his grip on his legs.

"_Great excuse for letting your friends die,_" his voice shot back.

"_What?_" Danny gasped, his head snapping to attention with a painful jerk. "_What are you talking about?_"

"_See for yourself,_" the third voice said. "_Your ghost sense is out of control, doesn't mean it's not working…_"

Danny closed his eyes and concentrated, for that one moment blocking out the cold. That instant was all he needed and he choked at what he felt instead. An enormous energy was present in his mind, a mass of demonic and mystic energies. He could feel his friends surrounding the beast, but only just. Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari were fading, their power, their _lives_ being sucked into that monstrosity. He could sense Moka as well, but he hardly recognized her. Her overwhelming aura was all but gone, drained away by that _thing_.

"_No…_" Danny whispered in horror.

"_Now do you see?_" Moka's voice asked him. "_Ruby even gave her life for you. She took a death blow meant for you and was devoured by that beast!_"

"_And now the girls you claim to care about, the ones who for some unexplainable reason seem to love you, are faced with the same fate and all you do is sit there whining and shivering!_" the mystery voice roared.

"_But what can I do?_" Danny screamed at the crimson eyes, his own aching from tears that froze before they could fall.

"_Well for one you can stop talking to yourself!_" his voice taunted.

"_Then pull yourself together…_" Moka urged him.

"…a_nd get off your ass…!_" the last voice shouted before all the three cried out as one.

"_**…**__**AND FIGHT!**_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Alright…"

X(When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down)X

Oyakata shook as she felt the air around her grow cold. Her gaze instinctively fell on the snow woman but the girl still hung helplessly. In fact for a moment she looked just as surprised as Oyakata was by the sudden chill. Wait, was she…_smiling?_ The demon witch looked at all the other girls and again was dumbfounded by what she saw.

They were all smiling, even as the life was being drained from their bodies. But why? What could make them feel this way when it was clearly hopeless? It was then that she realized just what she was feeling. It was so much more than simple cold, it was _aura_. An aura she'd felt so rarely she couldn't recognize it at first. It was the hauntingly cold aura of the most powerful of ghosts…

She turned back to the fallen boy, her throat growing dry as the energy grew stronger and stronger…

"Let…_them…GOOOOOO!_"

Oyakata shrieked with pain as blue light washed over her in a brilliant explosion. The vines that held the girls shattered like glass. Her massive body was pushed back by the power of the terrifying blast of blue. The only thing that kept her from freezing on the spot was the energies she had drained moments before that were quickly fading under the glow of cold power.

The moment the girls had felt the rising aura they'd been filled with new life. To them the halfa's aura was not cold and frightening, but gentle and protective. And best of all, it meant Danny was alright. They felt the cold blast of energy pass over them and break the vines that held them. Kurumu's wings were flapping instantly as she forced the strength back into them. She sped toward Yukari and Mizore, snatching both out of the air and easing them to the ground. Moka needed no help as she landed down elegantly.

All eyes turned to Danny who was floating high above them. His ghostly form was radiating with bright blue energy. He stared at his gloved hand, a far off look, as though he didn't know what to make of it. Then his eyes fell on Oyakata, and the witch felt every inch of her massive form tremble under his gaze.

Danny's eyes glowed not with their usual neon green but a cool electric blue. The cold hatred of his leer was made all the more fearsome as he looked down at her with the demonic eyes of a vampire.

"Bundle up," Danny growled, his voice like a razor. "It's gonna get chilly…"

With a simple wave of his hand Danny sent a surge of blue energy at Oyakata. The attack slashed into the demon witch like cold steel. Howls of pain cried out from the many mouths that covered her body. Again the only thing that kept the old woman from freezing solid was the power she had absorbed. Oyakata reached one of her giant arms toward the halfa, vines striking out around him like a thousand whips in an attempt to prevent escape.

Danny rocketed into the sky, swerving between the angry tendrils with ease. He burst out of the pursuing jungle and fired down at his opponent. Again, a bolt of sapphire ectoplasm burst from the boy's hand. Oyakata screamed as the bolt of frozen energy drove into her shoulder. Her stolen aura failed to protect her this time as the concentrated attack froze the joint solid. The weight was too much for the ice covered limb and the entire arm fell to the ground with a heavy crash.

Oyakata winced, her beastly maws roaring in agony. She looked back at the boy who was flying down at her at full speed.

"_Foolish boy,_" the witch smirked as Danny drew closer. "_You should have kept your distance. I can't be harmed by physical atta-?_"

Oyakata's thoughts were silenced as Danny drove his fist into her cheek. Pain wracked her body as her skin froze an instant before the strike tore into the brittle green of her face. Bits of crystallized flesh fell from her wound, shattered by the halfa's crushing blow.

"_RRRAAAAGGGGHHHHH!_" Oyakata screamed in pain and hatred. Without warning, the massive jaws where they stood snapped shut, trapping them both within the beast.

"DANNY!" the four girls cried out as the halfa disappeared from sight.

"It's over!" Oyakata cried out in victory. Tendrils shot from the darkness behind her. With nowhere to go the swarm of vines stabbed into Danny, green blood bursting from the new wounds.

"You're mine now!" the demon witch cackled. "All that delicious power of yours belongs to _ME!_"

Oyakata grinned as her vines did their job. She could already feel the energy being drawn out of the halfa. So strong, so delicious, so…cold.

"Well that's interesting," Danny said curiously as he felt a change in her aura. Her power wasn't growing, it was actually getting weaker the more she tried to take. Danny's cold energies were acting almost like a poison that she couldn't stop drinking in. If anything it almost felt like _he_ was the one getting stronger.

"What? _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?_" Oyakata screeched.

"It's not me crazy," Danny smirked, feeling the pain the vines in his chest caused fade away as something filtered into him. Oyakata eyes went wide. The air around them began to fill with light as the boy's body shone brighter. As the light grew, they could hear whispers coming from all around. The chorus of voices seemed to emanate from both of them in a strange melody.

"What's happening?" Oyakata wondered aloud.

"'A witch gains a mystic aura by working with the spirits of nature around her'" Danny spoke, somehow understanding the voices without knowing what they said. "'The more powerful the witch, the more spirits they can control. The most powerful witches can force huge numbers of spirits to give up their power. But spirits still have a sentience all their own. Therefore, a witch that forces spirits to obey will never be as strong as one who can work in harmony with them'" Danny gave a slight grin having remembered the quote he had heard months ago. "Yukari told me that. I guess the spirits you work with don't like you that much…"

"But how?" the demon witch demanded.

"Because there's a spirit here that you can't control," the halfa replied, speaking for the chorus around them.

Oyakata tried to pull her vines from the ghost boy, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was right. The spirits she controlled had found a new being to give their power to. All the power she had drained, that she collected for over a century was being filtered into this boy little by little. The demon witch stared into the halfa's cold sapphires with pure awe.

"What are you?"

"I'm a phantom," Danny said simply as he placed a glowing blue hand on her forehead. "And you were right, it's over…"

And then everything turned white.

X(End music)X

XXXXXXXXXX

"My lady…?"

Oyakata slowly opened her blurry eyes. She was surprised that she wasn't in pain after all the injuries she'd sustained. In fact, she felt pretty good, a little tired, but peaceful. Her vision slowly cleared to reveal a familiar face smiling down at her.

"Ruby…?"

Ruby carried her teacher's human form gently through the air. The girl's six black wings flapped steadily through the brilliant white sky as the two floated over an endless garden of sunflowers. Oyakata was too stunned for words as the young witch smiled at her through tear filled eyes.

"My lady…" Ruby said again, her voice soft as a child's.

"You're…helping me…?" the old witch breathed in disbelief.

"Of course," Ruby replied cheerfully. "All I ever wanted was to help you. For us to live in peace, just like we had always said…"

Oyakata starred at her adopted daughter. Water ran down her face as a mix of joy and sorrow filled her heart. "I'm so sorry," the witch sobbed. "I thought you had been taken by the humans as well. I was such a fool, please forgive me…"

"Gladly…" Ruby sighed with a smile. "Come my lady, let's go home…"

"Yes, let's…" the woman nodded as Ruby carried her higher into the air.

"That was beautiful ladies…"

Both women gasped at the sound of another voice. They looked up above them in the direction it had come from. Floating there was a young man in black, his white hair almost invisible against the bright sky.

"Danny…" Ruby whispered.

"Sorry you two," Danny said raising a hand above his head. "I'm not done with either of you yet."

The world began to swirl around them. The light, the flowers, everything began to spin, the central point at Danny's hand. Everything melded together, and once again Oyakata was lost in the glow of a beautiful white light.

XXXXXXXXXX

The four girls watched nervously, each one thinking a silent prayer. Moments after Danny and Oyakata had been trapped inside the beast's mouth, the entire demon had frozen solid. There were no auras or flashes of light signifying a battle, only a massive icy statue, standing still against the fading night. All of them wanted to do something, but feared that any intervention might condemn the halfa within.

And so they waited, hoping for a miracle as each minute passed.

And then it happened. The sun rose over a distant hill, the dawn chasing away the battle filled night. As its light stretched over the landscape it fell upon the frost covered demon, and the girls received their miracle. The creature evaporated almost instantly, its white body vaporizing into a cloud of blue mist. The wind blew over the Witch's Hill and chased the blue fog away, leaving three figures standing where the beast once had.

Danny was exhausted. Every muscle in his body ached, but at least the cold feeling he'd had wasn't bothering him anymore. With a flash of light he returned to his human form. He fell forward, only to be caught by the two witches standing on either side of him. Both women showed no signs of battle, their wounds completely healed. Oyakata actually looked better than before, her earthy demon form gone.

She wore her cloak once again. Her skin had returned to a pale pink hue. Her hair was unchanged, still a bright blond, but it was no longer greasy and wild, but soft and clean. Her fangs were gone, replaced with straight white teeth and her eyes had turned a kind brown. Her faced was aged, but not overly so. Danny chuckled, she definitely didn't look like she was over a 100 years old. Hell, it looked like sixty would be pushing it. Then again, he thought sadly, it wasn't too surprising given the situation…

Danny's friends came racing up. They slowed when they spotted Oyakata, approaching carefully should she try to harm Danny. He gave the girls a smile and a reassuring nod. Moka returned it and stepped forward taking the still injured boy's arm and placing it over her shoulder. They all stood still, unsure what to say.

Kurumu was the first to tire of awkward the silence. "Okay, so that's it?"

"That's it," Danny chuckled.

"We win," Mizore agreed simply, though a smug grin could be seen on her face.

"I guess so," Oyakata smiled, surprising the girls with the tenderness of her voice. "I'm sorry about the trouble I caused you all. Thank you for everything you did for me. For us."

"Yes," Ruby agreed. "Before all of you came along all we wanted was revenge. We'd forgotten that all we really wanted was to protect our home."

"But what's going to happen to it now?" Yukari asked looking out over the battered landscape that was littered with blood and demon corpses. "The hill is a mess. All the flowers are gone too."

"It doesn't matter," Ruby sighed picking up the remains of her wand that lay at her feet. "This is still our home and we're going to save it."

"Without killing anyone this time I hope," Moka added harshly.

"But who's gonna protect a place that looks like a nuke was dropped on it?" Kurumu asked, earning a glare from the others. "Just asking…"

"And you're right," Oyakata replied. She reached her hand into her robe and pulled out her spellbook. "But we can change that…"

Danny threw out a hand as she walked by, grabbing her arm. "Are you sure about this?" he whispered, careful that Ruby could not hear. "We don't know what will happen if you do that."

Oyakata looked back at the young man and smiled. His bright blue eyes that had looked at her with such cold hatred only an hour ago now showed only concern for her wellbeing. How she had been so wrong as to see this boy as an enemy, she would never know.

"Thank you," she replied sincerely. "But I have to do this now, whatever it might mean."

Danny held her arm a few moments more, looking into her determined brown eyes. Then he nodded his understanding and let her go.

"I know I don't deserve it after everything I've done," Oyakata whispered as she opened her ancient tome, "but please, help me. Let me fix my mistake…"

The old witch smiled as she felt a rush of energy she'd almost forgotten existed. The magic began to build around her as the spirits lent their old friend their power once again. Her book began to glow with a more comforting light than it had done in years. This was how it was supposed to be, she thought. Just like Yukari had said, a witch working with the spirits, not using them as a tool.

Everyone shielded their eyes as a bright flash of light burst forth from the sorceress. It filled them with more warmth than even the rising sun could do. As quickly as it came it faded and everyone stood in awe of what they saw. Sunflowers covered every inch of the Witch's Hill, brighter and more beautiful than ever before. The scent of the blossoms wafted in on the morning breeze. The earth itself had been healed by the woman, all the signs of battle washed away in an instant. This was no illusion like that disgusting dump, it was far too real.

"My lady, you did-" Ruby exclaimed. She gasped as she turned to face her mistress, drops of light floating off her body as the woman began to fade from view.

"Dammit," Danny growled. "I knew she shouldn't have used her magic yet…"

"Danny, what is it, what's happening to her?" Ruby cried in panic.

"I don't know Ruby…"

"What do you mean? Why is she disappearing?" the teen witch screamed.

The halfa sighed, his head hanging in defeat.

"She's a ghost, Ruby," he replied, wincing at the look of horror on the young witch's face. "She died the second I broke her spell. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Oyakata chimed in, her voice still cheerful even as her body faded away. "I made my mistakes and you helped me through them, and for that I am eternally grateful. I just wanted to heal my home, even if it was the last thing I would do. You showed me how wrong I was about humans. If even a handful of them are as kind and brave as you boy, then there may yet be hope for this world, and for peace between all races. Thank you…Danny."

Danny smiled back at the noble old witch. "You're welcome…" he said with a bow of his head, "…my lady."

"Lady Oyakata…!" Ruby sobbed as only the woman's face remained.

"Shhh…it's alright Ruby," the woman said gently. "Don't cry for me. You have new friends to watch out for you. It's time you lived your own life."

"Y-yes, my lady," Ruby bit her lip as she wiped her tears away. "I-I'll never forget you."

"Nor I you," Oyakata smiled back. "Thank you. Thank you all…"

And with that the witch was gone. The last drops of light floated away, carried off by the wind.

All that remained was her spellbook. The blue crystal emitted a soft glow as it seperated from the tome and floated a few feet in the air. It glided toward Ruby and came to rest on the remains of her wand which began to change shape. The crescent design at the top twisted until it became jagged and the brass turned a light brown. The gemstone took a place at the base of the curl. For all purposes, it looked like a metallic branch with a jewel imbedded in it.

"A parting gift," Moka whispered, a rarely seen smile of sincerity gracing her lips.

Ruby could feel tears welling up in her eyes again but she shook them away. "What do we do now?"

"Well I am going to go make a phone call," Danny said with a stiff groan.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Well it's afternoon in the US," Danny grinned. "If we're going to save the Witch's Hill we're gonna need some help. I have a friend back home who can give us some names, call in some activist groups, and have them here in under an hour."

Ruby stared at the boy in shock, her mouth hanging open as Moka helped him back toward camp. Danny smiled from ear to ear. Sam was gonna flip when he told her he was setting up a protest.

* * *

*passes out on the couch that I got hit with* I hope you guys liked this chapter as much as I did. If you're confused about some parts that's okay, I like to keep you guys guessing. And don't worry, Danny isn't constantly a super magic god-like powered person type guy. That was a one time thing because his power was bonded directly to Oyakata's (maybe…muahahahaha). As always I will be happy to answer a few questions, just as long as they don't spoil my plans for later chapters. Speaking of which, next one has something you've all been waiting for…Danny's going back home! That's right, all the questions of what's been happening in Amity Park will finally be answered. But right now there are other questions to answer. To the review section, Robin! Oops, I mean Readers!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

**FlaraShadowora:** Appreciate the honesty. If you have any suggestions on how to improve my writing, then I'm all ears. As you can see, Danny's ice powers manifested with him just releasing energy. The cold had built up so much that when he attacked, it came out blue instead of green. The rest was just natural. As for how he'll learn to control them, we'll get to that later.

**TonicShadow:** First, thanks for the rating. 10 of 10? Sweet! Second, I'm sorry but I don't know much about Negima. Thanks for thinking of me though, glad you like my writing enough to ask.

**Zenith010:** All I can say is thanks dude.

**Okami Princess:** Thanks for the Curaga. You're always so good to me. The potential mystic aura is a little something that has more to do with later in my story. All part of the big picture Princess. Though you saw a little glimpse of what it can lead to. Hehehehehehe…

**1v2:** Glad you like my story so far. You ask what's stopping Danny from marrying the girls, that should be obvious. He is still a kid after all. But falling for them? That ship has sailed…

**Cap. Dead Beard:** Well most of these You'll have to wait for, but Sam and Tucker's reactions are fast approaching.

**kitofthewind:** A god…? Wow, thanks. Go ahead and throw Dan, if I am a god, I can simply write him out of existence. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Naruto261:** Thanks. I've actually been thinking of making this an M but I think it will have to get worse before it gets that high. Just gotta see where my keyboard leads me.

**noname:** Jury is still out on that one.

**Assault Godzilla:** Glad you enjoy this. Answer to your questions are right around the corner. Keep reviewing!

**Orchamus:** Thanks for all the reviews. I love it when readers go from start to finish, posting all the way.

**Capito Celcior:** Loved your review. I can't go into detail but you have no idea how close you have come to some of my future plans.

And that is it for the moment my loyal fans. Again, I will _try_ to update soon but I've been very distracted lately. Before I go, I wonder if you could all help me with something? Virtually every R+V crossover I've seen puts someone in Tsukune's place. Do you guys know of anyone that has gotten as far as I have using that same concept? I would just like to get a good look at some of my peers. I would also take xovers that you think are really well written if they have the same situation. Thanks a lot. 'Til next time everybody.


	21. Chapter 21

Deep within the Forest of Fanfiction, there is a small area where Danny Phantom meets Rosario+Vampire. Within that small area is a grave, a grave that simply reads "The Academy Phantom". For such a small plot, it has many visitors that pass by. People look at it hopefully, waiting for something important to happen. Praying that their plea's will be answered. Now it sits quiet, the only ones watching over the small plot are the Reapers of Stories, eagerly awaiting to add another unfinished fanfiction to their collection. They hear a rustle in the brush, and another visitor steps through the shadows. He's wearing dark blue jeans, a grey shirt with a dragon adorning it, and a black jacket with the hood covering his head. Something about his presence made the reapers uneasy. He walks slowly, purpose in his step, and stares long and hard at the inscription. The figure reaches out and rests his hand on the gravestone. In that instance, a cool wind picks up and shifts his hood ever so slightly. One of the reapers cringes, the figure is staring straight at him with cold, frozen blue eyes. Eyes of ice...The figure whispers something. It is low and deep but it echoes through them like a thunderclap.

"Not yet..."

The reapers scream as a flash of blue lightning splits the sky, shattering the gravestone they had guarded so greedily. As the grave breaks, so do the reapers. Their cries of rage turn to pain as the lightning branches out and pierces them all through their black hearts. They are reduced to ash from the deadly bolt, and that chilling wind that had first made them shudder so fiercely now wisps their ashes away. The light from the blast clears and the young man is no longer alone. Standing with him are four colorful looking school girls and a boy dressed in black and silver.

"Let's go," the hooded figure says with a smile.

Danny Phantom returns the grin. "Lead the way, Ghost Fang."

* * *

**_I AM BACK BABY!_**

Now raise your hand if you missed me. What do you think of my intro, too much? What can I say, I have a flare for the dramatic. I could tell you what kept me, but you've all waited long enough. The latest chapter awaits! READ PEOPLE, _READ!_

* * *

"Danny!"

Danny heard the familiar voice and chuckled. He turned his head in time to see a quick flash of blue before he was wrapped in a smothering hug.

"Hi Mom," Danny smiled as he returned the embrace.

Maddie Fenton's motherly alarms went off immediately when she heard her son's dull tone. "Is something wrong sweetie? You look sick…have they been feeding you enough?" she asked her weary looking son.

"Just tired, Mom. You know, jet lag and stuff," Danny lied. His mother's expression did not change, however, and he was glad he wouldn't have to back it up as a massive shadow cast itself over the two of them and he braced himself for what was coming next.

"Welcome home, Dan-o!" Jack Fenton roared as he lifted both his wife and son in a bone crushing hug.

"Hey Dad," Danny groaned feeling his spine crack loudly before his father lowered him back to the ground.

"Welcome home little brother," Jazz Fenton grinned (having wisely kept her distance). "I trust you haven't completely ruined Amity Parks name while you've been away?"

"Give it time," Danny smirked before the two siblings gave each other a quick embrace.

"Come on Danny, whatcha bring me?" Jack said jumping eagerly from foot to foot.

"Sorry Dad, all presents are in my other bag," Danny smiled, suddenly realizing how much he had missed his father's playful attitude. "You'll just have to wait until we get home."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Jack exclaimed. Before anyone could say another word, the enormous man was dragging his family through the airport to the baggage claim.

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny couldn't believe how strange it felt as he walked into Fenton Works. Not a thing had changed, everything was exactly the same as when he had left. And yet after so many months at Youkai Academy his own home felt foreign as he walked in the door.

"Okay, we're home so come on!" Jack said impatiently, snapping Danny from his reverie.

Danny sighed. He might have missed his dad but he'd also forgotten how quick the man's childish nature could start to annoy. "Alright, you three go in the living room while I fish them out."

His family obeyed as he started shifting through his bag. Shortly after, he joined them, three presents crudely wrapped in brown paper in his hands. Danny thought it best to start with his father before he threw a tantrum. No sooner had he handed it over before the paper was flying.

_"FUUDDDGGGGEEEEE!"_ Jack screamed looking down at the large box of homemade chocolate.

"My friend Kurumu made them," Danny chuckled. "She's really good at making sweets. If you li-"

Before his son could finish Jack had already unwrapped some of the chocolate and and placed a huge handful in his mouth. No sooner had the fudge touched his tongue when the massive ghost hunter froze completely, his jaw hanging open with chocolate still sitting there for his family to see (much to their disgust).

"Honey, are you okay?" Maddie asked carefully, unsure of her husband's reaction.

Jack began to chew slowly, bit by bit. The Fenton's watched in hushed confusion for nearly three minutes until Jack finally swallowed his treat. Maddie repeated her question even more carefully, the tension in the room almost as thick as the fudge. Her husband turned toward her slowly, and the family was shocked to see his eyes watering as a smile graced his lips.

"It's delicious..." the man finally said, much to his familiy's relief. That had to be some _damn_ good fudge to stun Jack Fenton to silence. Kurumu had outdone herself.

Danny smiled at his Dad's careful handling of the chocolatey dessert. He'd expected it to last about five seconds after his father had opened it. Apparently Jack had other plans, since he was delicately wrapping it back in the plastic wrap from whence it had come. It was so good he wanted it to _last_. "Kurumu makes some for us every week," the youngest Fenton said, though the fact was she made it almost entirely for him. "She said she'd be glad to send you a care package once in awhile if you liked."

Jack let out a high-pitched squeal of approval and pulled his son into another back-breaking embrace. "_Please_," Jack practically begged, "Tell her soon. I don't know how long I can make it last!"

"Sure," Danny groaned in pain, barely getting enough air to respond. "I'll send Yukari an e-mail tonight. She'll tell her for me."

"Isn't Yukari the 11 year old in your grade?" Jazz asked suspiciously as Jack put his son down and Danny stretched his freshly sored limbs. She always seemed interested in the 'young genius' her brother hung out with.

"Yep," Danny sighed as sweet oxygen filled his lungs once more. "She may be young but she could probably be in college instead of high school if she wanted. She might even be smarter than my know-it-all sister. Speaking of which…" Danny smirked as he handed over the largest and heaviest package, "…here's yours."

Jazz frowned at her brother's statement as she took her gift, but moments later it was clear that Jack Fenton's squeal was hereditary.

"The entire literary collection of Dr. Haruhi Koizumi in English?" Jazz exclaimed. "Danny this is great! How did you know?"

"Well I heard you mention you wanted to do a thesis on 'the most renowned female psychologist in Japan' after I left, so I looked her up," Danny grinned at his sister's reaction.

"But I've been looking all over for these, where did you find them?"

Danny grinned a little wider. "I had help. Let's just say Dr. Koizumi is a cat lover…"

Everyone looked at the young man questioningly but Danny just ignored it. After all, how do you explain that your teacher is a cat-woman that has secret connections to a private underground cat loving author's literary cache? Instead he simply handed his mother her present. It was much smaller than the others and very lightweight. When she opened it, it looked like Danny must not have found anything for his mother and just shoved several pieces of paper in the box, hoping it would count as a gift. Jazz rolled her eyes at her brother's thoughtlessness. His mother, on the other hand, went wide eyed.

"Japanese sealing talismans," Maddie smiled down at the several ornately decorated pieces of paper.

"That's right, how did you know Mom?" the halfa asked.

"Well when you were sent to Japan I got curious about ghosts and ghost hunting there," the woman explained. "While I was researching I came across information about these 'seals' that were supposed to ward off 'evil spirits'."

"Yeah, when you told me about that Fenton Ghost Catcher you were making that was based on Native American principles, I thought you might like them," Danny said hopefully.

"I do sweetie, thank you. These will be great for research, especially if they're the real thing," his mother smiled giving him a hug.

"Oh they're real, I guarantee it," Danny smirked since he'd been there when they were made. Every time he touched the strange pieces of paper he'd felt a strong, almost electric tingle. He'd even tried touching them in ghost mode. When he did the shock was so strong that his hand had gone numb. If he ever saw Ruby again he'd have to thank her again for making the seals. His friends rocked.

"Cards to scare away ghosts, huh?" Jack cut in. "Perfect! So you must be learning a lot about them…"

"Sorry dad, not ghosts," Danny chuckled. "Although I was surprised by how much I'm learning about the supernatural. Witches, vampires, all sorts of things."

"Is that standard education at your school?" Jazz said curiously.

"More like something I'm learning in my extracurriculars," Danny smirked before dropping across the couch.

"Hey, move your feet, you've been on your butt all day!" Jazz shot looking for a place to sit while her parents took the chairs.

"Exactly why I need to lie down," Danny countered smugly (something else he had missed, though he'd never admit that to her). "I spent 12 hours sitting on a plane. Do you have any idea how much my back hurts?"

"Fine," his sister growled taking a seat on the floor. "So tell us more about Youkai Academy. I'm impressed that you've been doing so well. My lazy brother is actually in the top 25% of his class. Or are you just copying work from that genius friend of yours?"

"Well this might surprise you, but no," Danny grinned proudly. "She helps me study, but all my friends up there do. Sorry I'm not smart enough on my own, Miss Harvard Bound."

"Okay, okay, sorry," the red head giggled. "So your friends, huh? Tell me more about these _girl-_friends of yours."

"Oh no," Danny said defensively. "You guys hear about me all the time. We never have time to talk about much so let's hear what's been happening stateside."

"Sure thing," Jack said gladly. "I know just where to start, when we first proved ghosts are real to your sister."

Jazz cringed at the thought. "Dad. Do we hav-"

"We'd been following up reports of flying food at the high school," the orange clad hunter began, completely oblivious to his daughter's protests. "Everyone said it was a food fight caused by a new menu, but _I_ knew better. For some reason there was a big commotion that day, meat trucks and hippies everywhere."

"_Tucker and Sam,_" Danny chuckled having heard this same story from them.

"Anyway, we were suddenly attacked by a giant meat monster!" Jack jumped out of his chair, dramatically reenacting the battle. "We fired at the mass of meat, our weapons barely doing any damage. We had to resort to our experimental Fenton Ghost Grenades! They blew the creature up, BOOM! Underneath it was the true enemy…the ghost of an angry _lunch lady!_ We tried to capture her in the Fenton Thermos, but we still hadn't perfected them yet. All around us the meat came back to life and made new monsters. They swarmed us and knocked the thermos from my hand. But I blew past them, firing with expert aim. I destroyed tens- no hundreds of them and made my way-!"

"Jack!" Maddie scolded. "Tell the truth…"

"But I like my version better…" the man pouted.

"Then the Lunch Lady picked up the thermos, shouted 'Soup's not on the menu!', and started glowing. That was when she accidentally sucked herself into the thermos and they've worked ever since. Apparently you'd been missing authentic ghost energy…" Danny finished with far less flare than his father, earning a surprised look from the others. "What? Sam and Tucker told me. I do have other connections in this town."

"Point taken," Maddie nodded. "So why don't you tell us what else you know?"

"Well, you guys have told me that business has been doing well, what with all the ghosts popping up. Especially in the warehouse district..." Danny began with a knowing smile. "Dad told me about that dragon ghost that wrecked the lab and then ran back into the Ghost Zone when he was testing out the Fenton Fisher-"

"Much to my annoyance…" Maddie seethed at the missed specimen and destroyed experiments she'd been forced to repair for weeks. Jack just grinned sheepishly at the fact he'd been taking a bathroom break while a ghost ransacked his lab.

"And obviously I remember that Jazz dated a ghost-" Danny continued.

"Much to my disgust…" Jazz shuddered at the memory of Johnny 13 and how she'd nearly been replaced with the biker ghost's creepy girlfriend.

"You told me about a bunch of little jobs: ghost creatures, animals, annoying human specters obsessed with cardboard containment packages…" Danny sighed at the memory of his self-proclaimed 'nemesis'. "Then about two weeks ago you tell me you have big news, but you want to wait for me to come home before telling me-"

"Much to my, um, uh…" Jack snapped his fingers, searching for the proper word.

"Disappointment?" Danny offered.

"That's it! Thanks…"

"Well, I'm home. What's the word?" Danny asked. Before he could be answered, the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" Maddie asked. She glanced at the clock and suddenly frowned. "It's 4 o'clock. Jack, I thought you were going to tell them not to come today."

"Oops," her husband shrugged, clearly not sorry for his 'mistake'.

"I'll get it," Danny said as he made for the door.

Danny was not expecting what he saw when he opened it. There were two people waiting outside, a man and a teenage girl, both African American. The man wore a short sleeve button-up with a black tie and glasses. But Danny was paying more attention to the girl. She had long curly hair that was held back by an orange headband. She wore a sleeveless yellow shirt and an orange skirt.

The girl's dark green eyes blinked in surprise. "Danny?"

"Valerie?" Danny asked in equal confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"She's here for work!" Jack proclaimed. "C'mon in here you two."

"So you're Danny," the other man said as he entered. "I'm Damon Gray, Valerie's father."

"Nice to meet you," Danny nodded shaking the large man's hand. "Not to be rude or anything but can somebody tell me what the heck is going on?"

Maddie came up behind Valerie and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Well Danny, meet our new intern."

"Your new _what?_" Danny nearly flat lined when he heard this. It was surprising enough that they would let an outsider into Fenton Works, but Valerie? She was a snob, and quite frankly, a bitch. She was part of the 'in-crowd' that had gotten kicks out of torturing him, Sam, and Tucker the past several years of his life.

"Yeah Dan-o, that's what we were about to tell you. We've been employed by Axion Labs!" Jack cheered, clearly pleased.

"Really?" Danny asked, admittedly impressed. Axion Labs was a highly respected scientific corporation that had a division in Amity Park. It had always seemed a little out of place having a place like that in town. Then again, Danny lived in a building that looked like it had a flying saucer on the roof.

"Yep," Maddie smiled. "Damon, would you mind explaining things to him?"

"Not at all," Mr. Gray said. "I'm chief of security at Axion. We had just installed a security system that I had headed development of and guaranteed would be foolproof," he sighed a bit as he continued his story. "Unfortunately that was before ghosts became a common factor in this town. Some huge green ghost dog broke into the lab and wrecked thousands of dollars worth of equipment and our security couldn't do a thing to stop it. So a little over a month ago we realized what had gone wrong and called in the professionals-"

"That's us!" Jack exclaimed.

"So what's with the intern thing?" Danny asked.

"Well we didn't buy out Fenton Works, we just employed them to construct our 'spectral security' as we call it," Mr. Gray continued. "So in order to keep things up-to-date and the like it was suggested we hire a go-between."

"But why Valerie?"

"It was my employer's idea," Damon smiled, placing a hand proudly on his daughter. "Child of the head of Research and Security. Straight A student. Connections to both parties. And as an intern, they don't have to pay her too much. She's a perfect choice."

"And with you in Japan and me heading off to college next month, Mom and Dad get an extra set of hands around here," Jazz said leaning on the doorway.

"So is this a bad time? I didn't know your son was back in town," Mr. Gray asked.

"No, everything is fine," Danny said before his mother could say otherwise. "No reason to chase you guys off."

"Are you sure Danny?" Maddie asked. "We don't have to work today…"

"It wouldn't feel right if you guys weren't in the lab. Besides, I want to see what your intern does around here," Danny said with a quick glance toward Valerie.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So how long have you been back Danny?" Valerie asked as she scrubbed away at some of the beakers while Jack and Maddie argued over the final adjustments on one of their projects.

Danny was surprised by how nice she was being. They'd been there for twenty minutes and he hadn't heard one biting remark. She was even trying to start a conversation, _and it didn't begin with an insult!_

"Less than a day," Danny replied shortly, still unsure of what to make of the situation.

"You seen Tucker and Sam yet?"

"Tomorrow…"

The lack of words was not lost on Valerie. She was never close with him, but she knew how witty Danny tended to be. Even when he was getting beat up he always managed to throw some smartass comment that pissed the jocks off more. Then again she had never given him much reason to like her and now not only was she in his house, but handling his families equipment. Not that she didn't know how to handle such things... Still, things were different now so she might as well try and make peace.

"You don't trust me down here, do you?"

Danny snickered at that. "Well let's look at it from my point of view, shall we? You've always been a-"

"Cold, prude, self serving, egomaniacal, bitch queen?" Valerie offered.

"Replace queen with princess and you've got what I was gonna say dead on…"

The girl put the beaker down and sighed. "I guess I deserved that. But you've got to understand I'm not the same as I used to be. A lot has changed."

"Such as?"

"Remember when Dad said his _foolproof_ system couldn't stop that ghost dog? Well he lost his job after that…"

"What?" Danny barked in surprise. That definitely wasn't what he'd expected. How could they hold a ghost against him?

"Yeah, and as soon as money got tight, those 'popular' jerks just brushed me aside like trash," Valerie growled. "Luckily, when Dad figured out that Axion needed ghost proofing they gave him his old job back, with a significant pay cut, but at least we don't have any more finance problems. Nothing major anyway. And of course, soon as I was stable again the in-crowd expects me to come crawling back. As if…"

"So you didn't go rushing back to them?"

"HELL NO!" the girl scoffed, much to Danny's shock. "If there is one thing I'm grateful for with those months in that damn ghetto I was forced to call home, it's that I figured out that I don't need those creeps. I know who I am, and I am nobody's doormat. Tucker and Sam have been better friends than they ever were…"

"Wait, you hang out with _my_ friends?" That was a shocker. And why was he just hearing this now?

"Off and on," Valerie admitted. "I know I can't take your place. And the truth is, it gets kinda creepy with Tucker hitting on me all the time."

"It would creep me out too," The two shared a chuckle at that. Danny walked over and grabbed a rag and one of the goo encrusted beakers. "Sorry about the cold shoulder."

"S'okay" she smiled and joined him in scrubbing. "So that's it? You forgive me just like that?"

"Yep," Danny grinned mischievously. "I've heard I have a habit of that lately. Then again, it may just be that I can't hold a grudge against a pretty girl…"

Valerie just blushed as he went back to work.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Not again…_" Danny thought as he shivered violently. The familiar cold of his ghost sense overpowered him as he stared up at the enormous form of the demon witch, her mass of tendrils waving menacingly as she held six girls in her grip.

He could see Ruby and Yukari near each other, their wands snapped in two and their bodies threatening to do the same as they were twisted cruelly by the mass of vines. Then there was Kurumu. Her wings and tail had been ripped from her back and she was being squeezed so tight that it seemed her entire body would explode. Next was Mizore, her right sleeve missing from her clothing and no arm beneath it. All that kept her alive was a frozen chunk of crimson ice that covered the stump. Then came Moka, her pink hair stained with her own blood that gushed from two wounds on her neck, the same place she would bite Danny to drink his blood. Finally, held high above them all was Inner Moka. The once powerful vampire cried crimson tears as her limbs were ripped in all directions and thorn covered vines whipped her flesh apart.

"_Stop!_" Danny tried to scream but his voice froze in his throat, a cloud of blue smoke all that would come out. He reached his sore body toward his friends, all of them screaming desperately as the massive beast lifted them over its head, and dropped them into its waiting mouth. Danny cried as heard the creature crunch down on them, its mistress cackling in deranged glee.

"_AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_" Danny screamed into the blackness, his wail of despair reaching to all corners of the void. An explosion of blue and white erupted from the enraged halfa, the impossibly cold energy striking the monster and reducing it to shattered bits.

Suddenly Oyakata lay before him. The mutated witch moaned in pain as she crawled onto her hands and knees. She looked up at him in fear as he placed a steady hand on her forehead. An instant later her demonic guise was peeled away and the kind old eyes of a changed woman looked back at him.

"_Thank you…_" she smiled up at him sincerely before moving to climb to her feet. With a cruel push Danny forced her back down. She looked up once more, her eyes again filled with horror as he held the woman on her knees. Danny's green eyes turned a bloody crimson and the pupils narrowed to an angry slit.

"_You're welcome,_" he smiled evilly before her head froze in his hand and he shattered it with a heartless laugh…

XXXXXXXXXX

"_NO!_" Danny screamed as he sat straight up in his bed. He gasped for breath as he clutched his chest to try and slow his pounding heart. His body was covered with a thin layer frost, his ice powers causing his sweat to freeze to his skin. The halfa turned to his clock and sighed, "3 o'clock…"

That was fourth time that night the nightmare had dragged him from sleep. It had kept him up on the plane as well. He'd had it many times since the battle on the Witch's Hill once the realization of what he had done sank in.

Danny had taken someone's life! At first he might have managed to justify it to himself since he had been defending the girls. But in the end, that was what sickened him most. Oyakata had died by his hand and for at least a moment, Danny had felt nothing.

"I'm beginning to wish I'd told the girls they could come after all," Danny said to himself with a weary smile. The only reason he'd managed to get any sleep the past two weeks was the girls being nearby. Whenever the nightmares had come they had been there comforting him. Sometimes they would even hold him while he slept, their embrace keeping his nightmares at bay. They had all wanted to come home with him, but despite the temptation it would have been too hard to explain. Besides, he needed them to stay and make sure the Witch's Hill would be saved.

Danny knew it would be useless to try and sleep again so he crawled out of bed and decided to take a late night flight. He made a quick check of the house to make sure he hadn't woken his family. His parents were still in bed, his father's loud snoring drowning out any other noise. Danny peaked into his sister's room and grinned. The elder sibling was asleep at her desk…again. It wasn't the first time he'd found her passed out from studying something. He took a little pride however when he saw what she'd been working on so hard were the books he'd gotten for her. Danny moved her gently to her bed and threw a blanket over her before he transformed and flew off into the night.

The wind blew through the halfa's white hair, easing the troubles from his mind. Danny closed his eyes as he flew, letting the familiar feel of his city trickle back into him as he found his way. He headed straight for his favorite spot in town, the largest building in Amity and landed at the corner of the roof. The large office building never had anyone around this late and best of all, the view was spectacular.

"Be it ever so humble…" the ghost boy smiled as he looked down on his hometown with glowing eyes.

The view was a welcome aid in chasing away the images of his nightmare, but Danny was still nervous about later that day. In a few hours he was going to see Sam and Tucker, and tell them just what kind of school Youkai Academy was. They were going to kill him for not saying something earlier, but how do you tell your friends you attend a school for monsters? There was no way he could have told them over the phone, it was going to sound stupid enough in person.

Danny sighed in frustration. "No rest for the wicked…"

"You can say that again!"

Before Danny could react to the intruding voice there was a flash of light and he felt a sharp pain drive into his shoulder. Danny tumbled from the building, trying desperately to right himself. He finally managed to stop his fall and slowly scanned the area, looking for the source of the attack.

"You know that wasn't really what I meant!" Danny shouted hoping to draw out his attacker.

"Guess you should choose your words better, spook," the voice called back giving Danny his desired result.

The halfa raised an eyebrow as a silver surfboard floated toward him. Its rider, clearly female, was wearing a red jumpsuit with black boots and gloves. She wore a red mask that completely covered her face with a black visor over her eyes. She was carrying a large silver gun, double barrel with an over and under style. Judging from the pain in his arm it was an ecto-based weapon.

"You know, people tell me all the time I don't think before I speak," Danny replied, rubbing his injured shoulder. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't setting off Danny's ghost sense. That could only mean one thing. "Well I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're a ghost hunter. Red Huntress, right? Love the outfit…"

"Flattery gets you nowhere ghost, except for a one way trip back home," the girl growled. "And I'm not _a_ hunter, I'm _the_ hunter. Best in Amity Park! Thought all you chumps were running scared of me by now…"

Danny almost laughed at her cockiness, something he was all too familiar with. "Sorry, haven't been in town long. Don't worry, I'm just passing through."

"Got that right," the girl snapped raising her ectogun.

The ghost boy just smirked at her. "Take your best shot."

Danny took off as the girl opened fire. He flew backwards, keeping an eye on her and easily dodging her blasts. Behind her mask the girl growled in anger. This ghost was faster than any other she'd fought before. And what's worse, he had that smug grin on his face as he avoided her attacks with ease.

A grin of her own appeared beneath her mask as they approached a building. "_Should watch where you're flying amateur…_" She could have screamed when the ghost phased through the wall, not even bothering to turn away from her. "Shit!"

The hunter quickly ascended, increasing speed so she could cut him off on the other side. She was halfway across when he reappeared, phasing through the roof and rocketing toward her. She flinched as he sped by, barely missing her. She raised her gun to fire…only to find it wasn't in her hand.

"Still waiting to be impressed," Danny taunted, waving the girl's ectogun mockingly.

The hunter circled back around. She moved her foot slightly and pressed a button on her board. A swarm of four missiles fired from the side fins and charged toward the halfa. Again Danny shot backwards, firing four accurate blasts with the stolen weapon and destroying the missiles before they could get too close.

As soon as he turned back to the hunter another gun had appeared. It was a shoulder mounted cannon that had sprung from her back. He dodged left as the weapon fired at him only to go wide eyed as three glowing magenta discs flew at him. Danny was effectively trapped between the blast and the blades. He rolled away from the discs but was a moment too slow as the razor sharp edges sliced into his already injured shoulder.

Danny cried out in pain as his hand flew to the bleeding green wound. The ghost hunter fired again, hoping to knock him from the sky, but a green shield encased the boy and stopped her attack cold.

"I'll admit, that was a good move," Danny sighed. His ghost shield dissipated and he tossed the girl's weapon back to her.

"Giving up already?" the hunter scoffed. "And here I thought you might actually be worth my time after some of those fancy moves."

"Who said anything about giving up? I just didn't want that blaster of yours weighing me down," Danny grinned as his eyes and hand began to shine bright blue. "Here's the deal, I'm still new to this power so I need you to do me a favor." His grin turned predatory as he pointed his glowing fingers at the girl. "Try not to die…"

Before the hunter could move a bolt of blue light fired from the ghost's hand. It struck the weapon she had caught moments before encasing both it and her hands in ice. Trying not to panic, she fired her shoulder cannon. With a flick of his wrist, Danny fired a second blast of blue energy to cancel out his opponents and was surprised to see the attack freeze solid.

"Wasn't expecting that," Danny muttered as the frozen chunk of magenta energy flew by his head. "But I like it…"

With another quick gesture Danny sent a burst of cold ectoplasm at the hunter's board. In an instant it was covered in ice, letting out a loud whine as the systems froze and shut down. The hunter gasped in horror as her board gave out and she plummeted toward the ground.

The woman in red screamed as she fell. Her hands and feet remained stuck to her gear leaving the hunter completely helpless. The wind whipped by her head while the empty street grew closer and closer…and suddenly farther.

"Gotcha," Danny chuckled pulling her back into the air. He dropped her onto a roof and froze her shoulder cannon, just in case she had any fight left. "Chill out honey, the 'try not to die' was just to mess with your head."

The hunter was clearly unamused. In fact, she was downright pissed. "You damn ghosts, you think you can do whatever you want!" she shrieked. "You'll ruin people's lives just because the feeling suits you!"

"What?" Danny said in surprise. "I was the one who was just standing there when _you_ shot _me_ in the arm. I never bothered anybody that didn't cause trouble for me first. Just who the hell do you think you are?" he growled. He was in no mood for this crap after having to deal with those nightmares all day. Danny ripped the mask off her face, only to be stunned by what he saw. "_Valerie?_"

Danny stared at his former classmate in shock. Valerie glared back at her opponent with pure hatred in her green eyes. She didn't understand why he was looking at her with such disbelief. Maybe he hadn't expected her to be so young, but whatever the case, she didn't like it.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer…" the hunter spat.

"Sorry, you're not pretty enough for a picture," Danny sighed in an attempt to sound amused. He had to remember the girl had no idea who he really was. "I'm just wondering where a little girl got such big guns."

"What do you care?" Valerie scoffed. "And who are you calling little girl? I've beat tons of your kind back into the Ghost Zone."

"Could've fooled me as easy as I beat you…" Danny taunted.

"Is that why your shoulder is bleeding?" Valerie smirked, not one to be outdone. "Wait, let me guess, you were holding back right?"

"As a matter of fact-"

"Oh please!" the huntress interrupted. "As if I'm going to be…lieve…"

Valerie trailed off when a blast of cold chilled her to the bone. It couldn't have been the ghost's ice powers, her suit had temperature regulators that kept it from affecting her. Even the ice that covered her now didn't feel cold. But this chill was frightening, like a frozen hand was gripping her heart. It was only made worse by the stern look in the specter's eyes.

"You're good honey, but in case it isn't clear to you, I _was,_" Danny said as his form began to fade from sight. Before he vanished, a small smirk played over his lips. "Know your place."

With that he was gone. The ice covering Valerie shattered and she dropped to her knees gasping for breath as the chilling energy vanished.

"_You can't scare me off that easy ghost!_" she thought, her determined glare staring hard at the place where Danny had stood. "_I already know_ _my place, and it's taking down monsters like you…!_"

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I am really sorry about taking so long. You know how I always complained about my computer? Well it crashed! I had to get a new hard drive and practically start all over. That took awhile on its own. Couple that with college, a new job, and life in general, I haven't even been on this site, save for checking on a few other stories. So sorry, don't know if it's much of an excuse but there it is. But I am nowhere near ready to give up on this story, so as long as all of you keep supporting me, I'll keep it going. Okay, so Danny is home. I've covered all the major points that happened while he was away. The girls are not with him, and I'm sorry but they will not be appearing while he's home. I know some of you are upset or confused but I have my reasons, so please trust me on this. For those of you who were hoping to have Danny meet Tsukune, that will also not be happening. It's summer vacation and Tsukune went home. Again, I have my reasons. If you want to object, agree or anything, you know what to do. Cue the reviews!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

**Orchamus: **Thank you, thank you. Yeah, Danny's ice power might just be my favorite one so I might have made it particularly badass. The vampire blood _will_ affect Danny long-term. But you'll have to keep reading to see how.

**Okami Princess:** Hey Princess, sorry for worrying you. I'm back now, so I hope I earned another squeal.

**Assault Godzilla: **Glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much. The Ghostly Wail is not here yet, but I know exactly when I'm going to bring it in.

**nightdreamer15:** Yay for ice powers! Yes the ghost you're thinking of is Undergrowth, and yes Danny did call Sam. Hope you enjoyed this one too.

**Takai153:** You ever seen those old cartoons where the Looney Toons jaw would stretch about 3 feet and hit the floor? That's what Sam's face looked like when she heard Danny say he wanted to arrange a protest. Heheheh. I can't tell you who the third voice is, or when it will come up again. All I can say for certain is that it will be back.

**FlaraShadowora:** Thanks a lot, I really appreciate all the support. You know I hate spoilers, so sorry, can't divulge whether or not the girls will meet Danny's family/friends. Just know that when-I mean if! _If_ they all meet, it's gonna be fun. Sorry about the spoiler-I mean typo.

**SkittleKick:** I really timed that perfect? _SWEET!_ I am good! Oh, and Danny will blend his attacks.

**Riderman09:** I do intend to bring the ghost girls in at some point. Not entirely sure when they will all appear, but I do have a few ideas.

**smlyttle:** LOL!

**ClassicCartoon27:** Thank you. Danny is only known as Danny Phantom by Sam, Tucker, and a few ghosts in the Ghost Zone. He hasn't built up a big reputation in the Ghost Zone, they only hear rumors about the halfa. Ghosts weren't as common in Amity Park when Danny was sent to Youkai Academy (in part due to Danny's behind the scenes heroics) so no one there recognizes him, not even as Inviso Bill. At Youkai, Danny is just Danny, and that's all there is to it.

**Raidentensho:** Thanks for the music suggestions dude. I only use music for big fights when the feeling hits me (at least for my readers) but I will definately keep them all in mind for the future. Btw, you were close on the fudge statement...lol.

**firelovesme:** Glad you like the story so far. Sorry I couldn't put in that pmake like you wanted. I tried writing one but it just never felt right. I was just to satisfied with last chapters ending. I'll just leave that little scene to everyone's imagination.

**Zenith010: **Thank you for the compliments. I can understand that it seemed a little rushed. Honestly, I feel like I did that with just about every chapter I write (especially ones that are about 5 months late). I always shake it off as nerves about whether my audience will like it or not. Knowing that you have enjoyed it so much, and seeing how many others have as well, makes me glad to know that I wrote this. It's better than I dreamed when I joined this site with this story in mind. Thanks...oh, and I hope your rib has healed.

**KP100:** If Danny ever had a fake-out make-out with one of the Youkai girls...come on, that would break a lot of hearts both in the story and out. I _might_ squeeze one in, but I'll be honest, don't count on it.

**baltz00:** Thanks. Sorry but I can't really answer your questions. I can't say for sure how long this story will be. Like you said, both series are long and convined. But know this, I am a huge fan of both series. Even if it takes me a few _years_, I intend to see this through to the end. And yes, that includes Capu2. As for the power levels, that is something you will have to see over time. When the opponents clash, that's when you learn where people stand.

**S. Knightshade:** My friend, you never cease to flatter. I hope your friends will be lenient with me for the delay, but shit _does_ happen. I am also a fan of Slayers so high-five there. Btw, if you haven't checked yet, I sent that pm finally. What's my gift? Huh? TELLMETELLMETELLME!

**Jin Shirinue:** Well you got your Phantom enemy. But there should be more any time now including your hint hint nudge nudge wink wink perhaps...

**Ecto Soldier:** Glad to have you caught up. I know how college can take up your time, believe me. Now when am I gonna see a new chapter from you?

**naruto of the winds:** I have thought of that. Not saying no, but for at least the time being, I have other plans for Masters.

**DigitalHazard:** Thank you. I don't plan to waste it.

Well...guess that's it for the time being. I am already half finished with the next chapter. I WILL HAVE IT FINISHED AND UP NEXT WEEK! I swear I will never make you wait that long again. I can't say that I will have one up every week from now on, but I am ashamed with myself for leaving you all hanging for so long after the promise of something big. I'm serious, Scout's Honor! So until next week, this is your friendly neighborhood Ghost Fang, signing off...


	22. Chapter 22

"I'm late! I'm late! For a-"

*shoots white rabbit in the skull*

Man that song is annoying! In all seriousness, I _am_ running late. I told you guys this chapter would be up last week. I swear I will explain after you've finished, I just can't start a chapter without saying something to you guys or I feel like I'm not starting things off in the right way. If you're upset with me, I gave you all a present at the end that I'm willing to bet will earn your forgiveness. _DON'T PEEK!_ Just trust me, you're gonna like it. Enjoy...

* * *

It was close.

Danny barely managed to turn Sam intangible an instant before the flying mass of liquid was spewed all over her face. They moved away from the still fizzing fluid while Tucker tried desperately to catch his breath.

Sam sighed. "Tuck, that's gross. Did you have to spit your soda all over our food too?"

"How can you not be surprised by this?" Tucker panted at the goth. "I mean come on, Valerie is the Red Huntress?"

Danny's eyes rolled in amusement. Same old Tucker, same old Sam. He'd met them at the Nasty Burger barely ten minutes ago and after the long awaited greeting, they wanted to know everything about his adventures lately. After all, he'd been telling them about his new powers over the phone, but he'd failed to explain who he'd been using them against. Still, the first battle he wanted to tell them about was the one that had happened mere hours ago.

"Well sure I'm surprised, doesn't mean I appreciate my salad getting ruined" Sam replied with a shrug. "Personally I still think it's weirder that Danny's become a...what did you used to call me...'tree hugger'?"

"Sam, I told you, I'm not turning into an environmentalist, I just wanted to help save that place," Danny told her for the umpteenth time. If he didn't make that fact clear soon she was going to start dragging him to rallies. "Well since our food is ruined now, why don't we get out of here?"

"Sure thing, just let me grab a refill," Tucker said before hurrying away.

Danny turned back to his other friend with an amused grin on his face. "So now that he knows Valarie hunts ghosts do you think Tuck will be put off, or more interested?"

Sam giggled at that, "You know him, he doesn't sweat the details if he thinks he can get a girl. I don't think he knows what it means to actually _like_ someone…" Sam blushed a bit as the words escaped her. Danny had changed. She wasn't sure why but somehow he seemed bolder, smoother, almost untouchable. "It really is nice to have you back, Danny. I missed y-I mean _we_ missed you! Both of us! Tucker and me! Both!"

"Thanks, I missed you guys too…" Danny said with a curious smile that made the girl turn redder.

"Good to go!" Tucker exclaimed much to Sam's relief.

"So do you think Valarie stole that gear from your parents?" she asked as they made their way outside, eager to steer the conversation away from herself.

"No, I think Dad would have mentioned if they had made something that cool, especially if it was stolen. The only reason he hasn't noticed the ghost weapons you guys took is because he makes so many since he's going to lose them anyway," Danny said.

"Good point," Tucker nodded. "But it makes you wonder where she got the stuff. And how she got so good with it. We've seen her fight a few times when a ghost attacked the school and that girl has got some skills_._"

"I'm surprised you noticed how well she could fight the way you kept ogling her," Sam scoffed.

"That reminds me. Danny, you've led me on long enough," Tucker demanded, his voice suddenly sounding authoritative. "I demand to know and to know right now…is it true that all the girls wear really short skirts at your school?"

Danny sighed at his friend's one track mind. "Alright Tucker, you win. Yes, all the girls' uniforms have _extremely_ short skirts."

"I hate you so much right now…" the young man whined.

"Oh just wait, you'll have a lot more reasons to hate me in a minute…" Danny grinned. He reached into his shirt pocket and produced a photo that he handed to the techno whiz. Both Tucker and Sam looked at the picture and their eyes nearly shot out of their skulls.

The picture showed Danny at the beach, they could only assume it was the Club trip he had mentioned. But the thing that had given the pair such reason for shock was the girls in the photo. There were three incredibly beautiful young women with him, all clad in sexy swimsuits. Each one could put Paulina, queen of Casper High, to utter shame. Danny was blushing furiously as all three (and a younger girl Sam and Tucker had barely noticed) squeezed as close to him as possible.

"Danny…? Explain…" Sam said slowly, a look on her face that displayed surprise, annoyance, and just a hint of impending doom.

"Who…are…_they?_" Tucker breathed blissfully, his eyes never leaving the picture.

Danny chuckled nervously under Sam's gaze. "They're my club members. That's Yukari, Moka, Mizore, and Kurumu." He pointed to each girl in turn.

"These are the girls you hang out with every day?" Tucker asked, envy clear in his voice as he stared at the sunbathed beauties.

"Tucker, what's wrong with you?" Sam gasped when she saw a steady stream blood pouring from the boy's nose.

"_Well, glad to know I'm not the only one,_" Danny chuckled to himself before trying to pry the photo out of his friends grip. Tucker refused to release the picture, his fingers in a death grip around it. Danny was forced to phase it from his friends grasp. "Sorry Tuck, I don't like guys drooling over my girls like that, even if you are a friend. I have to deal with that enough at Youkai."

"Your 'girls'?" Sam hissed in disdain, her feminist side kicking in. "Danny, they're not possessions. How can you talk about women like that you chauvinistic-?"

"Whoa, easy Sam, that's not what I meant," Danny raised his hands defensively. "That's just what they call the girls back at school since I'm the only guy they hang out with. Well, except for Gin, but that one's more out of necessity. I guess it just stuck."

"Oh…" Sam blinked. "Well that still doesn't make it right."

"I'll bring it up at the next class president meeting," Danny chuckled.

"Uh, did someone hit me in the face?" Tucker asked finally noticing his bloody nose.

"Don't worry about it Tuck," Danny smirked. "Come on guys, let's get to my place and I'll give you your gifts."

"Yay!" Tucker cheered. Sam rolled her eyes at him, but smiled at Danny all the same before they headed off.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Where is everybody?" Sam asked as they entered Fenton Works.

"Jazz is at the library, big surprise. And Mom and Dad are upgrading one of their Spectral Security Systems at a warehouse on the docks," Danny said. The three of them shared a smile as if to say 'Box Ghost' before Danny started rummaging through the bag he had left in the hallway for his friends gifts. He turned and tossed one to Tucker who tore into it with drastic impatience. The boy was not expecting what he found in the box.

"A computer chip?" Tucker said with slight annoyance. "Danny, they have most of the latest tech over there. Why didn't you just get me one of those instead of just a piece of one? Or at least an advanced copy of a game?"

"Sorry Tuck, I thought you'd like it," Danny said with a knowing smirk. "See I didn't think you'd want a foreign piece of machinery or gaming that you couldn't do anything with. I mean, since it would all be in Japanese, when my friend Yukari guarantees that this chip will triple the storage space, running speed, signal range, basically every function on your PDA if you work it into the circuitry. But if you don't want it-"

When Danny reached out to take the chip from Tucker, he nearly had his arm bitten off. The techno maniac stared in awe at the circuit he had belittled mere moments ago, a tear forming in his eye. "So…beautiful…"

"Oh please, Tuck," Sam shook her head.

"Don't be so quick Sam. I think you might have a similar reaction when you see yours," Danny said handing her another package that seemed to have been wrapped with significantly more care.

Sam raised an eyebrow curiously before pulling back the paper to reveal a very old looking book. She flipped through the pages and found it was written in a foreign language (not Japanese) she had never seen the likes of before. She looked at the green cover, a gold label at the top and a sunken place at its center, like something had been pulled out of it.

"Danny, it's cool, but what is it?" Sam asked.

"It's a witch's spellbook," the young man replied, earning a surprised look from his friends. "I understand if you're skeptical, but I have absolutely _no_ doubt that it's the real thing."

Danny took a moment to reflect on that. He'd been extremely hesitant when Ruby had first given him her mentor's tome. The witch had insisted however, saying her new wand was more than enough to cherish her teacher's memory. She wanted Danny to have something as both a thank you and a gift.

Sam was the only person he trusted to get any use out of the book and still keep it safe. He'd even told Ruby as much and she had smiled, happy her teacher's spiritual medium wouldn't just sit on a shelf. Danny's friends noticed the distant look in his eyes as he stared at the book.

"Is something wrong, Danny?" Sam asked.

"It's a long story," Danny sighed. He took a deep breath as he braced himself for what he was about to say. "Guys, I need to tell you something…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Tucker said when Danny had finished his story. "You're class president of a school for monsters where you're big dog on campus, have four beautiful girls: a vampire, a succubus, a witch, and a snow woman, who are completely in love with you. One of which is some super powered badass that has a split personality when she takes on her 'true form'."

"Basically," Danny nodded, preparing for the angry shouts asking why he hadn't told them sooner. Tucker and Sam both glanced at each other for a long moment…

…and broke down with laughter.

"Dude, do you have any idea how completely bogus that sounds?" Tucker choked as he tried to settle himself.

"Come on guys, is this so hard to believe?" Danny asked, surprised by their complete lack of belief in his statement. Then again, he'd had trouble accepting the idea at first too.

"O come on Danny," Sam giggled. "You have to admit that story makes no sense."

"Why? You guys see ghosts on a daily basis. Is it so hard to believe monsters are real too?"

"That part isn't so crazy personally," Sam explained. "Hell, I'm even willing to humor you on the 'school for demons' part. But then you spout off about being the school's tough guy and having all these girls swooning over you? Please… That sounds like something Tucker would make up."

"Yeah," the self-proclaimed stud chuckled before realizing what Sam had said, "Hey!"

"Besides," the goth continued, "We've hung out with Tsukune, the guy from Japan that you exchanged places with, and I can guarantee that he is _not _a monster. You should have seen the way he screamed when he first saw a ghost. Poor guy nearly wet himself. And it was the _Box Ghost!_"

"But the headmaster said that Tsukune was a human who got accepted by mistake. That's the whole reason they sent him here," Danny insisted.

"What a lucky coincidence," Tucker grinned with a roll of his eyes.

"Well what about the book? Do you have any idea what I went through to get that?" Danny practically pleaded. He had left out most of his battle stories for fear of worrying them so they knew nothing of Oyakata or Kuyou or virtually any of the enemies he had fought for that matter.

"Danny, I see books like this at the Skulk & Lurk all the time," Sam said as she flipped through the pages once more and examined the strange writing. "I admit that none of them are this convincing, but Amity Park is hardly the only town in the world to have this kind of store. Besides, you showed us that picture of you and your 'girls' on the beach. Wasn't that Moka girl supposed to be the vampire? Well she was in the sun and not bursting into flame. And wasn't she wearing a cross too? That's like the complete opposite of just about every legend I've ever heard."

"I don't know, the legends are wrong! But she does drink my blood!"

"Then show us the marks," Sam said simply with a glance at his neck.

"Well- they- kind of heal really fast," Danny sighed. He was digging himself deeper the more he tried to prove he was telling the truth.

Tucker just grinned. "Again I say, 'what a lucky coincidence.' Come on dude, you're story's blown. Stop trying to mess with us."

Danny couldn't believe it! He knew how insane his story was but he thought if anyone would believe him it was Sam and Tucker. There had to be a way of convincing them. He sighed in frustration. Much to his surprise, a wisp of blue came out along with it.

"Sweet," Sam cheered when she saw Danny's ghost sense. "Now we get a chance to see those new ghost powers you told us about."

"Oh, so you believe me about new powers, but you can't believe this?" the halfa muttered as he made for the basement stairs, annoyed and almost disinterested in his ghostly warning. "Come on, they're probably in the lab."

"Hurry up Johnny, they could be back any minute!" a woman's voice said urgently from downstairs.

"Take it easy Kitty. If we can find that gadget I heard those two chumps talking about we'll be able to go in and out of the Ghost Zone anytime we want," a man's voice replied followed by a loud crash.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker all peaked around the corner of the lab entrance. They could see a pasty blonde dressed in black biker gear. He was shifting through various equipment on the shelves tossing aside anything that wasn't what he was looking for. Nearby there was a nervous looking girl with green hair watching impatiently. She was wearing a tattered black shirt, red jacket and miniskirt with a purple scarf, fishnet stockings and black boots. She was leaning against a large black motorcycle.

"Dude, that's the ghost that was flirting with Jazz before," Tucker whispered in surprise.

"Johnny 13?" Danny growled, his eyes flashing green. His interest was definitely peaked now.

"Yeah, we were with her the first time he showed up," Sam confirmed while she watched the ghosts carefully. "We don't know about his powers though, so you should be- Danny wait!"

"Hey!" Danny shouted as he marched toward the boy in black. "You the ghost that nearly fried my sister?"

Johnny turned around quickly, ready to fight off the ghost hunters he'd expected. Once he saw Danny, a scrawny kid without a single weapon, he just chuckled, clearly not worried by the intruder. "Well what have we here? Didn't know Red had a kid brother. Guess I must have missed you last time I was here."

"I was out of town," Danny said sternly. "Lucky for you…"

"Oh, tough guy, just like your old man," Johnny smirked. "You gonna sneak up on me with some stupid 'Fenton Stick' too?"

"No, I'm just gonna pound your face into the ground," Danny replied with a grin of his own.

The smug look on Danny's face really pissed off the biker ghost. He stomped over and roughly lifted Danny by the collar of his shirt. "You're way too cocky punk. You think I'm gonna sit here and let you insult me in front of my girl? You are way out of your league kid."

Danny was unfazed by the ghost's threat. He just continued to grin at the specter. "Like I said, I'm gonna do more than just insult you. And you're the one who's out of his league."

"Can it, Johnny! Maybe he can show us where that gizmo is," Kitty snapped.

"Good idea baby. But I doubt he'll just hand it over. I'll just _convince_ him," Johnny growled before throwing his fist back and swinging.

Danny caught the punch in his palm. Johnny went wide eyed at how a mere human could stop him so easily. Danny put his feet in the ghost's chest and pushed. Johnny was thrown to the ground and Danny flipped backwards and landed easily as if he had simply taken a step backward.

"Okay…since when can Danny do that?" Tucker said in surprise.

"I-I don't know," Sam gaped, a light blush igniting her cheeks.

"Hey Sam! Tuck! If you guys want to see my powers so bad then come on out," Danny called to his friends while he cracked his knuckles. "Cause I'm about to give this guy a full-on demonstration. Going ghost!"

With a flash of light Danny's ghost form appeared. Both Johnny and Kitty were stunned at the change. They'd heard rumors about the halfa whispered in the Ghost Zone, but they had no idea that it was the boy standing before them. Even more frightening was the energy radiating from him. Only the strongest of ghosts had such an aura. It was rare to even feel it in this day and age.

"Whoa," Sam whispered as the energy washed over them like a soft breeze. "Tuck, are you feeling this?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I sure don't remember him having _that_ before."

"Power one: Ghost Ray," Danny grinned before firing a burst of green energy from his fingers. The blast struck Johnny in the chest and slammed him against the opposite wall.

"Cool," Tucker said, quickly geeking out at the sight of his superhero friend's newfound awesomeness.

"Nope, that one comes later," Danny smirked as he pointed at a trash can and it was suddenly lifted by his energy. "Power two: Telekinesis."

The trash can flew at Johnny at high speed. The biker ghost quickly went intangible and it passed harmlessly through him.

"That all you got punk?" he spat. He might have been surprised to be facing the halfa that he'd thought was just a rumor, but he'd be damned if this _twerp_ was going to show him up!

"Not really, but since they haven't seen all my powers I'm going easy on you. Otherwise we'll never make it through the list," Danny jeered.

"Well maybe I should show off some of my own. Shadow, attack!"

Danny and his friends gasped as the biker's shadow did just that. It peeled itself off the floor, a pair of green glowing eyes and a fanged mouth appearing on its jet black face. It rushed Danny and threw its clawed hands around him, the body stretching like rubber and encompassing him in a dark sphere. The shadow's head smiled ferally at the boy hidden beneath its form as it's three tendril like hairs whipped back and forth.

It only lasted a moment however, as the shadow suddenly shrieked with pain. Its body shook violently and began to crackle with green electricity. Seconds later the black creature exploded with an agonized cry. Danny floated a few inches off the floor grinning at Johnny with not an ounce of worry.

"Power three: Ghost Stinger," Danny said as the disoriented shadow began to reform slowly. "It's a blast of ghostly electricity that I can spread over my entire body."

"Shut up you smug little bastard!" Johnny roared as he flew at Danny to deliver a punch that could kill most grown men with even a glancing blow. Before he could reach the halfa, he slammed hard into a solid green dome of energy and dropped, holding his now sore fist. His shadow shot forward and caught him before he could crash to the floor.

"Dude, Danny is totally dominating!" Tucker cheered as he watched his friend's display of strength.

"I know," Sam said simply, still watching the boy in awe. He used to have trouble with ghosts that seemed far less powerful than this one. Danny really did seem untouchable now.

"That was power number four, the Ghost Shield," Danny said before his eyes turned blue and the temperature in the room dropped significantly. "And this is my newest power. I think I'm gonna call it my Phantom Freeze."

A stream of blue light fired down at the biker ghost and his living shadow. It drove them to the floor, a shell of ice forming that held them down. Kitty tried to rush to Johnny's aide but Danny fired another bolt of cold energy that made a shackle of ice that held her to the bike. All three ghosts tried to phase through the ice, but the frozen ectoplasm held them firm.

"I do hope you enjoyed this demonstration. If you have any questions, please submit them to phantom-kicks-ass dot net." Danny landed over the helpless Johnny, his hand glowing with green energy. "You know, I wonder what happens when you try to kill a ghost…"

Johnny cowered at the malicious grin on the halfa's face. "T-t-take it easy man."

"Give me one good reason," Danny hissed, all amusement gone from his face. He pointed his shining fingers, his eyes emotionless as the light burned brighter. Sam felt a shiver down her spine as she watched. She was afraid that her closest friend was actually going to do it...

"Danny…"

Johnny was cowering at the mercilessness he saw from the halfa. "I didn't want to hurt your sister or nothing. I-I just wanted to save my girl!"

_That_ was not what Danny had expected. He froze, the light from his fingers dimming slowly as a thought formed in his head. He could hear Kitty whimpering just a few feet away. Danny turned toward her and cringed at what he saw.

The ghost girl was struggling desperately to pull herself from her bonds. Green blood dripped from her wrists where the ice cut into her pale skin. Tears were pouring from her dark red eyes as she watched her boyfriend at Danny's mercy. Danny was horrified by the look in her eye. He'd seen it dozens of times in the past few months from Moka and the others whenever his life had been in danger and it killed him when he realized what it meant.

He was the bad guy here…

He faced Johnny who was staring at him in sheer terror. Even the beastly shadow held a nervous look. Danny looked down at his hand, an image of Oyakata's terrorized face echoing through his mind…

And that was when it hit him. Why he'd felt nothing at first when he killed the old witch and why it still ate him alive at night. All the pieces had been there, he just hadn't bothered to put them together. Danny had been too busy wallowing in his own self loathing to realize. He wasn't the bad guy then, everyone had known it but him. He had been so sure that ending her life had made him a villain, but it didn't. There was no way Danny could have known that beating Oyakata would kill her. That was why he felt such heavy remorse for what he'd done. It wasn't just because he'd been the one to kill her, it was because he couldn't find any way to _save_ her. As for why he'd felt nothing for that brief period, that answer was even more obvious, Danny had just been too clueless to see…

_Love…_

He loved those girls enough to give his all for them. And that was exactly what he'd done that night. He fought with everything he had to protect them and he he won, unfortunately at the cost of Oyakata's life. He hadn't felt remorse, not because he didn't care, but because he cared about Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari far more than his own ego.

The halfa took a weary breath and sighed, long and deep. In that moment, his aura seemed to ripple in the air, removing all dread in the room with a sense of calm.

Danny turned back to Johnny, his voice stern but his eyes significantly softer than a moment ago. "Let's get this straight, I don't want you messing with my family or friends ever again or I'm gonna stick that Shadow of yours where the sun don't shine, we clear?"

"Clear man, sorry," Johnny nodded in nervous confusion. "But…why?"

"Let's just say…I can sympathize," Danny whispered back. The glow around his hand darkened with the aura of his telekinesis and with a gesture, he shattered the ice that held the ghosts. Kitty rushed to her boyfriend's side and hugged him close. The biker's shadow merged back into him as the two quickly and quietly made their way to his cycle. As Johnny revved the engine Kitty turned back toward Danny and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you…" she mouthed silently, grateful that he had spared her partner. Danny gave her an understanding nod and with it the two drove back into the Ghost Zone.

"Danny, that was awesome dude!" Tucker hollered cheerfully.

"Were you really going to…?" Sam trailed off, not wanting to complete the thought.

"Sorry if I worried you," Danny said with a relieved smile. "Guess I got a little carried away. I wanted to scare him for what he did to Jazz. Didn't even think about what you or that Kitty girl might think."

It was the truth…more or less…

"You sure…?" Sam asked. She wasn't completely convinced, but it _did_ make sense and eased her mind as she looked into his honest eyes.

"Guess you had to get a bit more ruthless fighting with those '_monsters'_, huh?" Tucker smirked. Danny's threat hadn't worried him. Just the opposite actually, Tucker thought it was cool.

Danny opened his mouth to argue when he paused. He could claim he had been telling the truth about Youkai Academy, tell them about all the battles and experiences he'd had, but what would it get him? Sam and Tucker couldn't help him in Japan like they had done here in Amity Park. Hell, if they knew that all his fights had been so close to life and death, the only thing he'd accomplish is making them worry about him. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd seen the two of them handle an ectogun and his parents' presence in Amity Park, Danny would have lost a lot of sleep over the increasing ghost attacks.

"Okay Tuck, I get it," Danny chuckled, his decision made. "So I made it up. I just didn't want you guys to think that I have it easy while you have to put up with ghosts day in and day out."

"Well I can't say I blame you. I mean your life does seem pretty sweet right now. But I gotta ask, why the crazy monster school story instead of ghosts? Don't you think that would have been more believable since we see them all the time?" Tucker continued.

"Probably, but where's the fun in that?" Danny smiled as he continued his act. "_It's better this way,_" he thought to himself. "_No point throwing them into something they can't do anything about…_"

Something about the way Danny spoke gave Sam pause. It was true that the story was outrageous, but now he seemed to be trying to convince them he'd concocted the whole thing for their benefit. It was a major contrast to how he'd seemed so desperate to have them believe him only a few minutes earlier. Once again, however, Sam forced herself to shake it off. Whatever had happened with Danny had changed something in him. He was more mature, maybe a little darker, but he was still the same Danny that she loved.

Sam turned crimson at the thought. "_LIKE! You LIKE him okay, not LOVE him! He's your best friend!_"

"You okay Sam?" Danny asked when he noticed her darkening face. The girl shivered when she looked into his neon eyes, her mind going completely blank.

"_DAMMIT!_" the goth screamed in her mind. "Danny that was really cool! Thanks for showing us your new powers but it's getting kind of late so I should be going. Dad didn't want me hanging around you for too long so I'm going to split for now," Sam said quickly (and a little too loud) as she slowly backed toward the stairs.

"Wait a sec," Tucker called, a knowing smirk on his face. "Since when do you listen to your dad? Besides, I thought your parents were warming up to Danny now that he's going to some private school."

"No that's just my mom. She's eased up on him, but Dad seems more against him than ever. Something about Yakuza…" Sam replied, still making her way for the door. She chanced a look at Danny and felt another shiver when she saw his still gleaming ghost form. "Okay bye!"

With that she raced up the stairs. Tucker waved to Danny and chased after the goth, eager to tease his fleeing friend, leaving a very confused, albeit amused, halfa standing in the basement lab of Fenton Works.

XXXXXXXXXX

The rest of Danny's vacation was spent with significantly more ease. He quickly fell back into his life at home. Danny soon learned he didn't have to lift a finger against the ghosts in town. Apparently his attempts to frighten Valerie out of hunting him had only invigorated her to hunt ghosts all the more. The Red Huntress was quickly becoming a celebrity in Amity Park, much to Jack's aggravation. Maddie on the other hand, welcomed the challenge.

And so Danny had been free to enjoy the time spent with his family and friends without having to worry about fighting. This turned out to be just what he needed. After Danny's revelation from his battle with Johnny 13, his nightmares and worries had faded from memory, replaced by the familiar and welcome chaos of his home. Family, old friends, and a brief reprieve left Danny feeling like his old self. Still, he was missing Youkai Academy. Or rather, he missed the girls. So when it came time for him to board the plane, he was all too ready.

"Oh, I love you sweetie," Danny's mother hugged him tightly as he prepared to go through security.

"Me too Mom," Danny smiled as he returned the embrace.

"Don't let your grades start slipping," Jazz said smugly. "I'd hate to see that potential of yours go to waste right as you start living up to it."

"You got it," Danny nodded before giving his sister a quick hug. "And don't let any of those spoiled punks at Harvard make fun of you because your parents hunt ghosts. You're a Fenton and should be damn proud of it."

"That's my boy!" Jack cheered as he lifted all three members of his family in a backbreaking squeeze.

Jazz groaned when he put them down. "I may be proud, but I'm still allowed to be embarrassed."

"Fair enough," Danny whispered back.

"Take care dude. Watch out for 'monsters'," Tucker grinned as he patted his friend on the back cheerfully.

"I will Tuck," Danny chuckled, making sure his friend missed the roll of his eyes.

"See you soon Danny," Sam said taking the other friend's place. She gave him a hug of her own that lasted a moment longer than she had planned.

"You too Sam," Danny smiled. He unconsciously gave her an extra squeeze before he rushed off toward the metal detectors with a wave.

The girl sat there and blushed as the Fenton's shouted final 'goodbye's', 'I love you's', or in Jack's case a 'send fudge!' and 'call me if you see a ghost!'. Next to her, Tucker grinned smugly as she held her arm in embarrassment.

"So why didn't you tell him you had a crush on him? I mean since you're obviously so jealous of those other girls…" the techno geek asked. The goth quickly turned on him and hit him hard in the shoulder.

"Shut up Tucker," she growled, though the blush on her face told the whole story.

"Well, look at it this way," Tucker said as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm, "Danny may hang out with them in Japan, but you're the only girl who knows he's Danny Phantom."

Sam thought about that for a moment and smiled.

"_Yeah,_" she nodded to herself. "_Let's see 'Danny's girls' top that…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

Several many miles away, there was a man sitting in a dark room of his enormous home. He was extremely well dressed, his clothes made of the finest fabrics. His black suit contrasted the long grey hairs he wore in a ponytail giving him the appearance of an important businessman, yet unique from the sight you would expect from a man of his status.

The sole light in the room came from a small computer screen. It showed a young man clad in black, a strange D-shaped symbol emblazoned on his chest. Missiles came into the picture, sprouting from the first-person point-of-view. The boy dodged and countered expertly, blasting the missiles down with his stolen weapon. The 'Red Huntress' as she'd been labeled managed to wound him with another move, but it almost instantly ended in her defeat when the ghost began to fire blue energy from his palm.

"Impressive," the man said intrigued as he stroked his beard. "To defeat my pawn with so little effort…I believe this one will make a valuable employee." The man lost visual when the ghost ripped off Valerie's mask and the camera hidden inside it. The audio continued to ramble on but the man rose and strode for the door, satisfied in what he'd learned.

"Oh please!" The laptop continued to scream after him. "As if I'm going to be…"

Any other words were covered by a high pitched whine from the computer. The man turned on his heel, his eyes wide at the sound. Could it be? He rushed back to the desk and stared in disbelief at the readings the girl's suit had registered. He read it over again and again until after the sixth time he slowly lowered himself to his seat.

The ghost's spectral aura was incredible! The man had seen many of the most powerful ghosts from the Ghost Zone. Most of them actually worked for him, but none had an energy like this. It was thought that such powers had faded with the fall of the Ghost King. Yet here was a new age example of just such a being. To have so much power without leaching off an outside source like most were forced to do…

"Very interesting indeed. Looks like my potential pawn just became a potential knight," the man whispered, a wicked smile curling his lips as his stern blue eyes began to glow bright red.

* * *

I wonder who that could be...heheheh...

So am I forgiven? I know I've got some explaining to do but here's the deal. I had this chapter finished last week and was working on the next chapter when I had an epiphany. See, Danny's time in Amity Park was supposed to last about 4 chapters, but I thought of an even better idea for the villain he was going to face. I won't tell you who it is just yet (you know how I hate giving out spoilers) but it meant I had to rewrite this chapter almost in it's entirety. Some of you might still be a little put off that I only gave Amity Park 2 chapters, and some of you will be even more ticked off about Sam and Tucker's not believing Danny, but trust me, when the time comes you will understand and be _so glad _I did.

Now I've been asked a few questions about Valerie that I thought I should clear up real quick. Some of you wanted to know why Vlad would bother giving her any ghost fighting equipment when he knows nothing about Danny. I'll answer that in the same way Vlad did in _Reign Storm. _She's smart, she's fast, she's strong, and most of all, she's _motivated._ She's supposed to be a tenth degree black belt right? You don't get those over night, she must have been practicing for years. Her father works for Vlad, so she's easy to keep track of, on and off the battlefield. And to top it off she's still young. That means she's prone to manipulation, and we all know how Vlad loves manipulating people. Throw in her grudge against ghosts and you've got yourself an anger fueled, highly skilled, ghost hunting pawn. The fact that she hated Danny Phantom in the show was just icing on the cake. That's another thing, some people wondered why she hated Danny when he wasn't the cause of her problems. Well the fact is, Danny never _was _the cause of her problems, _the ghost dog was._ Danny tried to stop him, but good ol' Cujo was the one that trashed her father's work and all her stuff. Well that didn't change. Cujo found what he wanted at the lab, but once he had Valerie's scent, he still wanted to play. So he tracked her down over and over, and what he thought was fun made Valerie's life a living hell. He finally stopped 'playing' with her when she got her ghost hunting gear and decided to try and vaporize the poor little pup. Still the damage was done to Valerie's life and caused her utter disdain of _all_ ghosts. Her new reason for hating Danny? Simple, he's the only ghost that's ever beaten her up to this point. And he made it look easy. It was more than she could take. Any more questions about our angry neighborhood Red Huntress, you know where to find me.

Anyway, on to reviews.

* * *

Thanks to all my reviewers!

**Assault Godzilla:** Glad you agreed with Danny's break from the girls. I thought everyone would hate me for that one. Yes, Danny will be fighting other ghostly enemies soon. I've got one in particular that I've been planning for a while and I'm finally gonna get to write the chapter. Yes, Danny does have the emblem on his chest. I mentioned it at the beginning of the story, but I understand if you forgot. It was a gift from Sam before he left for Japan.

**Raidentensho:** So you remembered the camera's in Val's suit huh? Good, so I bet you really enjoyed that last part. Though I'm sure you wish more had happened in Amity Park. Sorry dude, but I think you'll understand in the long run. Besides, Danny only had two weeks left at home before he was going back to school anyway, so I didn't have time for a whole lot. Thanks for the ideas, I'll keep them in mind. Especially the one with Jack and Kurumu.

**x590:** Glad you're enjoying my story and welcome to the neighboorhood. I'm not a beginner per se, I used to write a few little stories in English class back in the day. My teacher said I was pretty good. This is just my first story that I've made for public viewing. I never thought I'd get this big a hit off of it, so I was thrilled!

**Zenith010:** Can't promise Valerie won't still be obssesed. Just have to wait and see on that one. Oh, hope your hand is better.

**Okami Princess:** Missed you too Princess. But did you have to hit so hard? My head still hurts from that smack you gave me. Got to admit that anime sounds interesting. I'll check it out when I've got more free time. See you in the postings!

**S. Knightshade:** So am I still doing alright? I feel like this chapter was a little rushed, but then again it wasn't supposed to go down like this at first. Still, I'm satisfied with the end result. Don't worry, there will be more ghost foes. Btw, yor comment on my song choice in chapter 20, let me see if I can explain things. You were probably just looking at the song from the overall pov, thinking it was meant for Danny, but that's not the case. See, it does have a place for Danny, but he shares it with Oyakata. They are in a fight to the death and neither really knows it. If Danny were to die, the girls would miss him. 'Love him when he's gone' so to speak. But what about Oyakata? Who's left to love her if she dies? No one. She thought she'd killed Ruby, the only one left that cared about her. And that is where Ruby's pov is drawn. She's the main reason this battle is going on, because of her feelings. Everyone thinks she's dead and they're fighting out of love for her still. Or at least, admiration for her courage. I like both of your songs, but _Headstrong _was to savage for that battle. I needed something emotional that would tug at the readers heartstrings. As for _Frontline_, I couldn't use that one. I have a battle picked out where I intend to use that song. Actually, it was part of that epiphany I mentioned before if you can believe it. lol

**Writer Sage: **Vlad would probably just bribe the therapist to make her angrier.

**Kaotsu:** Yay chipmunk! Wait, does it sing? *loads gun and stares down the chipmunk*

**phantomdemon2: **I'm not going to throw out your idea, because it's a good one, but I'll be honest, considering my plan for this story it's unlikely. As for the ghost form, I plan to alter that at some point, I'm just waiting for what I feel is the right moment. Btw, in case you thought otherwise, I wasn't ignoring you. I respond to reviews in my chapters. If you want to talk about something directly, send me a pm. I feel that gives everyone a chance to look at each others Q&A and keep private things private. Oh and you saw what happened to the last bunny that got on my nerves, so those plot bunnies can _bring it!_

**Fear My Laser Face:** Something tells me you were upset that the Amity Park portion ended so soon. Sorry dude, but don't count out the TV shows action yet. I've got a few ideas that I think will top the show.

Well that's it for now. I hope this chapter didn't feel too rushed to you. It kind of feels that way to me, but I'm hoping that's just from the rewrite. I wish I could have found a way to make it better but I covered all the bases I wanted to cover and over all, I'm satisfied. I'll update when I get the chance. hopefully in time for Christmas, but I'm not about to make another promise that ends up falling through. Until then, take care everybody. Ghost Fang has left the building.


	23. Chapter 23

Sup everybody? Your Friendly Neighborhood Ghost Fang is back so you can all put down your torches, pitchforks, and so on. No need for the angry mobs. Oh, and that goes double for any evil ravenous creatures. Or do you want them all to end up like Mr. White Rabbit? *cocks gun* Now start reading. If you don't, I guess you have to ask yourselves one question... 'Do I feel lucky?' Well? Do ya...punks?

Or you could ask, 'Why did I choose this chapter if I wasn't gonna read it?' Or maybe, 'Why did he call me a punk? *sniffle* What did I ever do to him?' Or my personal favorite, 'What's this guy talking about? I'm reading right now! And if this moron would stop making stupid comments about stupid questions that have absolutely nothing to do with anything whatsoever, I could get to reading the actual chapter that I came here to see a whole hell of a lot sooner!'

...

...

...

*deadpans*

Sorry about that. Enjoy...

* * *

"Not so rough Danny," Mizore said, taking his hand in her own.

"I thought you liked it that way," Danny whispered back, trying to hide his nervousness behind his wity banter. He shuddered when she began to run her soft fingers over his palm, the light contact tickling his skin and the cool touch sending goose bumps up his arm.

"That's because I'm more…_experienced_," the girl purred, an uncommonly proud grin on her lips as she gained a measure of control over halfa. "_You_ need to be more _gentle_."

Danny yanked his hand from her grasp, his face burning scarlet. "Mizore, why are we still doing this?" he asked, turning away in embarrassment.

"Hey, you're the one that asked me to train you on using your ice powers. I'm just teaching you what I know," the snow woman replied, her own blush creeping over her cheeks now that the moment had passed.

"Well yeah, but I meant for fighting, not making ice sculptures," Danny sighed with a glance at his failed attempt to make a copy of himself with his powers. It had come out completely misshapen, arms on different levels with several jagged places. He had completely failed to produce legs, just a slipshod base that barely held his 'clone' up, and its features had an overall block-like quality.

Don't even ask about the face…

"Besides, we've been back at school for nearly two weeks working on this and the only progress we've made is that I can shoot icicles now. And of course snowballs," Danny let out an exasperated sigh, a blue flash creating a small orb of snow in his palm just to emphasize his point. "Let's face it, our powers just work too differently."

"Maybe," Mizore said with an amused smile. "Or maybe you just don't understand the potential of ice."

"'Potential'?" Danny said skeptically. "Mizore, it's ice. You freeze things with it. Period, end of story, thank you and goodnight."

"Oh really?" the snow woman asked smugly. She walked over to Danny and placed her hand over his small handful of powder and smiled gently. "Watch."

She lifted her hand and Danny watched in wonder as the snow began to circulate in his palm. The ball became straighter and sharper, going from snow to ice as it took shape to form a kunai made from the previous sphere of powder. Danny wasn't exactly surprised by the object she'd chosen to make, he'd seen her use them many times (especially to throw at Kurumu). But as he continued to watch, she moved her hand back over it, pausing only for a moment, and the kunai reshaped itself and was replaced with a shuriken. Danny was a little confused, but still not entirely surprised. Then Mizore started to pull her hand up and away from Danny's. The four points of the ninja star all curved inward, reaching up toward her fleeing fingers.

Danny watched in amazement as Mizore's fingers began to dance over the shifting ice. The small bulb of snow reached higher, a stem lifting it off the halfa's palm. Suddenly the ice burst open to reveal a blooming flower. Its beautiful icy petals continued to spread, a crystal bloom sprouting within his hand as naturally as a flower in spring. It was perfect in detail. The petals were heavier with cold to give them a whiter shade than the clearer stem, making it all the more realistic. Even at its center was an intricate web that resembled a patch of pollen.

"Our powers might work a little differently Danny," Mizore said softly as she stroked the delicate flower gently. "But you can make things from ice the same as me. And that means you can make _anything_. Ice is alive Danny, that's what my mother always taught me. If it wasn't I could never use it to fight the way I do. All you have to do is find the shape that suits you, and the rest will just come naturally."

"That's beautiful Mizore," Danny whispered, still somewhat mystified by what he'd seen. He took the flower, as well as Mizore's hand, in his own. He grinned warmly at her, a blush creeping over both of their cheeks.

"Thank you," Mizore smiled.

The snow woman stared into his eyes, blue as the crystal flower in her hand. He looked just as intently into her own starry orbs, amazed they could look so mysterious and lovely. Mizore took his hand and started to pull him after her. Danny followed curiously, wondering where they were headed.

"Mizore…where are we going?" he asked.

"To make a baby…" Mizore said casually.

"**_WHAT?_**"

XXXXXXXXXX

Several yards away, an attractive young woman with dark blue hair was sitting on a tree branch watching the two through a pair of binoculars. She was older by a couple of years, wearing a pair of black knee-high boots with a red and black version of the school's skirt. Her black shirt was cut in a style similar to Mizore's, except it left her shoulders totally bare and was far tighter than the loose fitting sweater Mizore wore and accented her ample chest.

The girl was staring through the binoculars at Danny who had just jumped away from Mizore. The two started to argue, though they both seemed to be more amused than upset. Danny even started laughing. The bluenette grinned hungrily as she watched him, her tongue sliding slowly over her red lips.

"Danny Fenton…" the girl whispered to herself. She turned briefly to the snow woman he was with. She too had a slight smile on her face, though only the ones who knew her best would realize it. The bluenette lowered her binoculars, her eyes a mixed shade of purple and blue. "And little Mizore, two-for-one…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Damn, I thought I had him there for a minute," Mizore thought aloud as she opened the door to her dorm room. "Guess I should have known Danny would be too chivalrous."

The girl stepped into the brisk room, enjoying the cool temperature she kept it at. Her lollipop might help regulate her low body temp outside but nothing could beat being bathed in cold. Especially after how flustered she was. Mizore might have put on a calm front, but being so close to Danny, sharing a truly tender moment alone with him… dammit she'd been so _CLOSE!_

"It's okay, calm down," she whispered to herself as she dropped across the couch. "You still have plenty of time, you're not even sixteen yet."

"Don't tell me you're still playing by their rules, Mizore…"

Mizore sat straight up when she heard the voice. A blue haired girl dressed in black and red was leaning against the wall very casually. She had a smug grin on her face as she looked down at the purple haired girl, clearly not bothered by the fact that she'd snuck into another girl's room uninvited. Mizore slowly got to her feet, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly as she looked back at the unexpected guest in shock.

"Retsu?"

"Long time no see," the bluenette smiled. "Did you miss me?"

"What are you doing here?" Mizore gasped in surprise, unsure of her feelings about her old aquaintance. Though there was no mistaking the hint of anger in the younger girl's voice.

"I'll take that as a no," Retsu giggled. The bluenette stepped away from the entrance to the hall she'd been leaning against. She walked casually around the dorm smiling, Mizore's cautious glare never leaving her. "What, did you think you were the only snow woman in this school?"

"Never really thought about it. But I'm starting to wish I was," Mizore said slowly, a touch of her calm demeanor returning along with a rush of spite at remembering how the two had last parted ways.

"Now is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"We haven't been friends since you tried to kill me," Mizore growled.

Retsu just sighed with a grin. She'd clearly been expecting that. "Always so overdramatic. You know damn well that's a load of crap. I hit you, hard but not _that_ hard. You shouldn't have tried to stop me."

It was Mizore's turn to sigh. "I just didn't want my best friend to leave," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I know," Retsu smiled softly. "And I wanted you to come with me. Guess we both got disappointed."

"So why haven't I seen you around school?" Mizore asked. She was still cautious of the surprise visit, but she couldn't pass up this chance to find out what happened to her oldest friend.

"Well the Public Safety Commission had me locked up for most of the first semester," Retsu grinned as she looked around the room again. "I escaped when Danny beat up Kuyou. It was so cool…"

"You can't have him."

Retsu giggled with glee. "Aw, am I that transparent?"

"You always did like taking my things," the purple haired girl hissed. "And trying to claim Danny would be just like you. You can't have him…"

The older girl smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Sorry Mizore, not your call."

Mizore gasped as she heard the voice both in front and behind her. Sadly she realized what was happening a moment too late. A circle of ice appeared at her feet and rose to the ceiling, trapping her in a frozen pillar. The real Retsu walked around in front of her and joined the ice doll she had made, both grinning ear to ear. Mizore groaned from the attack, her face and chest the only things not encased in ice.

"I always could get you with that trick, thinking I'm in front and then taking you from behind," Retsu sighed in satisfaction as she looked at her old friend. "And don't bother trying to get out of there. You can't manipulate ice made by a stronger snow woman, and I'm _much_ stronger than you."

"What-are you going to do-with Danny?" Mizore panted. She tried to break the ice that held her, but Retsu was right, it held firm.

Retsu giggled and pressed herself against the prison she'd made, her face inches from Mizore's. "You remember how much I like to play games right? I'm gonna play one with him…"

The ice doll behind her suddenly began to change shape. The color drained from its features and it lost a few inches, though the basic outline remained the same. Mizore watched as the ice doll lengthened its frozen hair ever so slightly before it turned a light purple. New color filled the clone and Mizore went wide eyed as she suddenly looked at a mirror image of herself.

"What do you think?" Retsu smiled as she surveyed her handiwork.

"Danny's not gonna fall for something so stupid," Mizore growled in rage.

"Maybe," Retsu sighed playfully. "Then again it doesn't really matter whether he does or not. This is just some fun before we get…" Retsu plucked the lollipop from Mizore's mouth and grinned hungrily before giving it a long, sensual lick. "…serious…"

Mizore's eyes burned with hatred. "Rets-!" she was silenced as the ice sprang up around her again, covering her completely in its clutches. Retsu just giggled as she walked away, sucking on the stolen sucker.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hi Danny!"

"_I DIDN'T DO IT!_" Danny threw up his arms in surprise as Moka, Kurumu, and Yukari walked up behind him.

"Didn't do what?" Yukari asked as the panting halfa lowered his hands.

"Sorry," Danny grinned sheepishly. "I was working late last night and didn't get much sleep. Then I had this weird nightmare where you guys were torturing me for... well, _something_. Think I might have been half-dreaming for a second there."

"So why were we torturing you?" Kurumu asked playfully, her finger playing over his chest. "Did you do something _naughty?_"

"Not exactly…" Danny blushed.

"Lay off you cow!" Yukari shouted before slamming a basin on Kurumu's head.

"Hi Danny!" said a familiar voice. Everyone looked over curiously as 'Mizore' walked up.

"Freeze!" Kurumu growled as she rubbed the lump on her head.

"What?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Mizore?"

"Wha-what do you mean?" the ice doll stammered nervously.

"You always sneak up on us and appear out of nowhere," Moka said curiously inspecting 'Mizore'. "You never just walk up and say 'hi'."

"Well-I was-just in a good mood today," 'Mizore' said quickly. "Besides, if you weren't expecting me to just walk up I'm still being surprising, right?"

"She's got us there," Yukari admitted.

"So why are you in such a good mood?" Moka asked.

'Mizore' blushed as a playful grin slid over her lips. "Danny knows why…"

"_HUH?_" all the girls quirked as one. They looked from the blushing snow woman to Danny, who had been staring at her with a curious look on his face since she arrived. They're minds instantly went to the worst possible place.

"Danny, what did you and Mizore do yesterday?" Moka asked, a vicious edge to her normally sweet voice.

"What?" Danny asked, the sharp tone forcing him from his train of thought.

"Mizore's in a good mood and acting strange, you can't seem to take your eyes off of her, and you two have been spending a lot of time alone to 'practice your ice powers'…" Kurumu hissed.

"Does this have anything to do with why you had a dream about us torturing you?" Yukari asked angrily.

Danny began sweating heavily as the three girls advanced on him with murder in their eyes. "Oh crap. Now girls, I can explain…"

"Get him!" Moka shouted in such a vicious tone Danny thought Inner Moka had popped out. The halfa nearly shat himself. He made a break for it, the three girls hot on his trail. Retsu casually walked out from the trees and joined her copy of Mizore, a wicked grin on both their lips.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mizore was doing her best to keep her breathing slow and calm. A normal person would have run out of air hours ago, but being who she was she could draw oxygen straight out of the ice. It was a trick her mother taught her years ago. Her mom could be a bit psychotic, but Mizore was never more thankful for the woman's training. Retsu had obviously intended to flash freeze her, keep her unconscious in this icy prison until she'd had her fun, but Mizore had just barely managed to stop the last attack inches from her face and maintain awareness. This was Retsu leaving the Yuki-Onna village all over again.

That was how she was. Retsu used people and then threw them away, always with a smile on her face. She might come off that she was caring and fun, that she was interested in someone other than herself, but it was all a crock. Mizore had experienced it first hand when Retsu had left their village. Retsu had just run away, and when Mizore had refused to go with her, Retsu just smiled and blasted a wave of icicles at her. Mizore had been in the hospital for weeks. And the sad thing was, Retsu...was the best friend Mizore had ever had.

"No!" Mizore said sternly, Danny's face flashing through her mind. "_I need to get out of here. Retsu might hurt Danny and the others. Heh, can't believe I'm worried about my competition…_"

Mizore sighed as she considered how to get out. She took another breath from the ice before her lungs exploded. When she did, she noticed something out of place. The ice directly in front of her was lighter than the pure white ice that held her. She breathed in again, drawing the oxygen from the crystal in front of her just like her mother had taught her. Was the ice clearing?

Mizore took a deep breath, inhaling as much oxygen as possible from the ice. As she did, cold mist rolled off of it, clearing the ice even more. Mizore grinned as she saw a drop roll down the chunk in front of her. She inhaled again, sucking in as much as possible. Mizore kept breathing in and out, her chest rising and falling heavily.

After several agonizing minutes, the ice in front of her was almost completely clear. Mizore began to push against her bonds. She groaned in strain as she willed all her power to break the ice. Her body pressed against the cold slab as she struggled with all her might. Slowly, a crack began to appear in the ice. Mizore was breathing hard as she began to push harder, until it felt like her body would give out. Finally, with one last cry of effort the crystal gave way. It shattered outward, dropping Mizore harshly to the floor. She panted as she lay there, her body exhausted.

"Stronger my ass," Mizore grinned weakly. Right before she passed out.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mizore, stop acting so happy! It's bugging the hell out of me!" Kurumu shouted as they all ate lunch. The unknown ice clone had joined them at the table instead of sitting behind a bush like she normally did. Her 'good mood' was still in full force and 'happy Mizore' was continuing to baffle the group. She was actually _whistling_ as she ate!

"I don't understand why you have a problem," 'Mizore' smiled sweetly.

"It's not that we have a problem," Moka replied, still unsure of the hole situation. "It's just, not like you…"

"You know what it reminds me of?" Danny asked, his voice raised a little like he was trying to get someone's attention. "The way you were acting when we first met. You acted more energetic then too. Remember, you took me up to the roof to look out over the grounds…"

"I know, wasn't that romantic?" Mizore sighed dreamily.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Kurumu rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe Danny was actually going along with this.

"Hmm. Hey, can you guys come with me for a minute? I want to take care of something before class starts," Danny said. The girls gave Mizore a final glare but followed Danny away from the main building.

"What is going on with those two?" Kurumu whispered. She, Moka, and Yukari were all hanging back and whispering to each other as they followed Danny.

"I know, it's like they reversed personalities or something," Yukari whispered back. "Mizore is acting all happy and Danny seems so distant."

"And he's been sneaking glances at her all day," Moka said solemnly.

"Really?" Kurumu asked, a pang of jealousy hitting her again.

"Yeah, I watched him in class. He kept looking at her from across the room."

"I say we kill her," Yukari snarled. The other two looked at her in surprise, and neither one thought she was joking.

"Where are we going Danny?" Mizore asked.

"This is far enough," Danny said as they came to a clearing. "I've got something I want to show all of you."

The girls gathered around Danny as he took a deep breath and crouched down. He put his hand on the ground and it quickly took on a bluish glow. The halfa slowly raised his arm, a blue beam of light pouring from his palm like a waterfall into a small patch of ice. As he lifted his arm higher, the girls began to notice a shape within the blue light. A narrow blade about the length of his forearm.

The girls all smiled as a hilt became visible. It had a simple guard in a cruciform shape and a grip just big enough for one hand before it reached its circular pommel. The light faded and Danny pulled the short sword out of the ground, a slight smile on his face when it held together. The sides of the blade weren't as smooth as he would have liked, but all in all he was proud of his handiwork.

"That's so cool Danny!" Yukari exclaimed. "You're really getting the hang of your ice powers."

"Finally," Danny grinned still surveying the weapon. "After Mizore and I had a talk yesterday, I worked on this all night to make sure I could make something decent."

"So is that why you've been glancing at her all day?" Moka slipped out. She blushed at how blunt she'd just been.

"No," Danny said taking another deep breath and looking at the snow woman nervously. "This is why…"

The girls gasped as Danny swung the sword. Before they had a chance to react he had sliced Mizore's head clean off. It fell to the ground with a thud before the whole body drained of color and shattered like glass.

Danny took another deep breath, feeling much calmer now as the ice doll broke apart. "So...where's Mizore?"

The girls all turned defensively when they heard a giggle behind them. A girl with dark blue hair stepped out of the trees, a playful smile and lollipop in her mouth.

"She was right, you knew the whole time didn't you?" Retsu sighed at how her little game had been ended so quickly.

"I had a feeling, but I wasn't sure until a few minutes ago. First time Mizore and I met we went to the pond not the roof," Danny said as he examined the new snow woman. She was definitely a looker, he'd have to admit. "_Then again, I don't think I've seen an ugly chick in this school. Still…_"

"So you've just been imitating Mizore all day?" Moka asked in confusion.

"Pretty much," Retsu smiled. "It was fun messing with you. See if you could figure it out, ya know? You girls really are dense."

"I'll show you dense! Where's is she?" Kurumu hissed at the snow woman, the anger that had been building all day now focused solely on a new target.

"Around…" Retsu said nonchalantly as she stalked her way toward Danny, her hips swaying back and forth. "Why do you hang out with these three Danny? You could do so much better."

"I kind of doubt that," Danny replied. The girls smiled proudly at the sound of that.

"Aw, so loyal," Retsu smirked cupping his chin in her hand. "So clever, so…strong. You really are one of a kind, you know that? Can't blame little Mizore for liking you."

"Thanks," Danny said flatly. "Kinda fond of her too."

"So how did you know?" Retsu asked as she walked around, her hand.

"I guess I just have this thing about snow women. I just get this sensation. Mizore could never hide from me either. Not completely anyway," Danny said as another chill went up his spine. When he felt it, Danny turned and smiled at Retsu. "Which is why I know you're about to get your ass kicked."

Danny jumped backwards much to Retsu's surprise. A moment later a wave of ice rushed toward the bluenette. She threw her arms out in surprise, a shield of frost appearing to protect her. The two waves of ice collided with each other and exploded, filling the air with diamond dust. Retsu glared in the direction the attack had come from and saw Mizore, an angry glare plastered on her face.

"How the _hell_ did you get out of there?" Retsu screamed in anger and disbelief.

"Okay, someone better tell just what the heck is going on or I'm kicking both of your frosty butts," Kurumu shouted in annoyance looking back and forth between the two snow women.

"Later," Mizore said, her eyes still trained on Retsu. "Just keep your big boobs out of this. It's between old friends."

"Mizore, you can't fight her alone, you look exhausted," Yukari insisted as she looked at her fatigued friend.

It was true. Mizore had just barely freed herself from Retsu's trap twenty minutes earlier and almost immediately passed out. When she regained consciousness, every muscle in her body ached from the strain. Still she'd managed to push herself to her feet and gone to find Retsu. It was just a lucky coincidence that Danny had led them right in her path.

"Just need to catch my breath," the snow woman lied. "I can handle this…"

Danny sighed in annoyance. "Sure, why should we have any idea what's going on. And after I acted so cool too…" Mizore gave a slight grin at his tone.

"Danny, you can't honestly be letting her fight alone," Moka protested.

"Why not?" Danny asked sitting down by a tree, though his eyes were fixed straight on the two yuki-onna's. He might be willing to give Mizore some leeway, but he'd also be ready to jump in if he was needed. "We all know Mizore can take care of herself. Besides, I let Yukari fight those plant things at the Witch's Hill and that turned out fine…"

"Well…" Moka began before she realized just what Danny had said. "Wait, you said those plants monsters snuck up on you and Yukari saved you!"

"I did? Well- I meant...that- Oh crap..." the halfa thought as both she and Kurumu glared him down. He looked to Yukari for help but she just blushed innocently.

"You actually let her fight alone?" the succubus practically screamed. "Danny she nearly passed out after that!"

Retsu watched them with vague disinterest. "As fascinating as this is," she sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the two girls scolding Danny. "I really hate being ignored…"

Her icy claw sprang from her other sleeve and pointed toward Mizore. Frozen spears fired at the younger snow woman like sharpened hail stones. Mizore barely managed to move out of the way before the spears flew by, ripping a tree behind her to shreds. She wasted no time in countering as she rushed toward Retsu firing off shards of her own. The bluenette simply smirked before creating a wave of icicles that charged through Mizore's attack and toward her.

The younger snow woman rolled to the side, again barely avoiding what would have been a devastating if not lethal blow. She bit her lip in frustration when she saw the smug look on her old friends face. She swung her arm in a wide motion, three small fragments of ice breaking off her claw at the last moment.

"Your aim sucks," Retsu said arrogantly when she saw that the shards weren't headed in her direction. However when she looked at Mizore it was the other girl who had a sly grin. She turned back toward the ice fragments and was shocked to see them curving back at her! Retsu threw her arm up just in time to block them, three ice shuriken that were now imbedded in her claw.

"For someone who likes games so much, you have no imagination!" Mizore shouted smugly. She had closed the distance while Retsu was distracted and thrust both of her claws forward. The bluenette did the same, the blades of their icy hands interlocking as the girls struggled for dominance.

Wind spiraled around the two of them as they pushed against each other. Everyone shivered as it became a frozen tornado, with the snow women at it center. Danny jumped to his feet and raised a ghost shield around himself and the others as snow and hail began to fly toward them, battering against the emerald dome without mercy.

"O ha ha," Retsu said sarcastically, though she was grinning once again. "So little Mizore's got a few tricks. Big deal! I've been fighting members of the Safety Commission and other freaks at this school for the past two years while you were stuck back home playing good girl. Face it, I'm stronger than you!"

Mizore grunted in pain as Retsu's grip tightened, threatening to shatter Mizore's claws. She fell to a knee at the pressure, her already sore muscles now burning in agony, much to Retsu's satisfaction. The bluenette smiled in sadistic glee, the storm around the two girls growing ever fiercer to mirror her increasing animosity.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kurumu shouted over the roar of the wind. "I expect better from my rivals, so get your ass in gear!"

"Kurumu…" Mizore managed to whisper with a glance toward the succubus.

"You can do it Mizore!" Moka called, supporting her friend.

"Go Mizore Go!" Yukari cheered, waving a pair of conjured pompoms around as she jumped up and down beneath the shield. Mizore looked at the girls in surprise, an amused smile working its way over her lips. She gave a quick glance to Danny who smiled right at her, a knowing grin that filled the cold girl with warmth.

"Aww, that is so sweet," Retsu chuckled darkly, snapping Mizore out of her reverie. "You've got a cheering section trying to pep you up."

"And you know what?" Mizore asked, her grin widening. "It's working!"

Mizore twisted to her left, slamming their claws into the dirt. The moment they did, ice erupted from the ground, creating a huge wall that separated the two of them. Retsu looked up in disbelief, surprised Mizore could manage something that large. The tornado itself had been split in two and disappeared.

"Not bad," Retsu called as she slowly made her way around the wall. "You really are tricky, Mizore."

"Well I haven't exactly been doing nothing for two years either," Retsu heard her call back. "And my friends are good for more than cheering."

Retsu flinched when she saw a sudden flash of blue. She jumped backwards, a few strands of her hair being sliced off her head. She stared back into the dark violet eyes of Kurumu. The succubus gave her a satisfied smirk as her nails grew a little more. The snow woman nearly screamed in fury but noticed a shadow appear overhead. She looked up to see an enormous hammer falling toward her, a pentacle on its face.

Retsu fell back again, landing on her butt, but avoiding the massive mallet that dented the earth. Yukari held the hammer and hefted it over her shoulder. Again before Retsu could say anything a fast moving object shot into view. It was Moka, her long hair drained of color and her blood-red eyes flashing as she charged. For a moment Retsu was frozen in fear as she beheld what could only be a vampire. She climbed desperately to her feet and tried to move away but this time she was too slow. The vampire drove a hard foot into the snow woman's gut that pushed her back several feet.

"So you're too scared to fight me alone after all, you little chicken shit?" Retsu screamed as she held her sore stomach.

"What are you talking about?" Danny called back at her. "The girls aren't helping her…"

"Wha-?" Retsu spat, throwing Danny a glare. Her eyes went wide when she saw the other three girls standing with him! She looked back and forth between the ones with Danny and the ones that had just attacked her in shock and confusion. Sudden realization dawned on her when she felt a cold hand grip her arm.

"How does it feel to lose a game to your own trick?" Mizore asked with a grin.

"Mizore you bit-!" Retsu began before a sheet of crystal completely covered her body. The older snow woman stood frozen in place, her face stuck in a cry of fury. Mizore fell back on her ass, a weary sigh escaping her lips. She gave a quick look at her ice dolls that had taken the shape of the others and nodded before they gave her a final smile and faded into three piles of snow.

"Sweet," Danny said offering her a hand. "Now please explain what that was all about."

Mizore sighed as Danny helped her to her feet. "Retsu was a friend when we were younger. We grew apart. You saw what a crazy bitch she can be."

"I'd call that a fair assessment," Kurumu said before stick her tongue out at 'the Retsu-cicle'.

"Anyway, she gets a crush on you like every other girl in this school," Mizore continued. "Traps me in my room and decides to play one of her 'games' with you-"

"Guess we can see the results," Moka grinned.

"She's not going to be part of the group now, is she?" Yukari asked, practically pouting.

"I don't know," Danny smirked as he looked at Retsu's frozen form. "She is pretty hot…"

"Danny!" the girls all snapped as one.

"Kidding, kidding," the halfa chuckled.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So what do you think?" Danny asked as he made another ice sword for Mizore.

"Still too jagged," Mizore said with all the sternness of a teacher as she ran her fingers over the bumpy surface. "You need to make it smoother."

"'Not so rough'?" the halfa joked quirking an eyebrow. Mizore smirked at the gesture before noticing Danny's face grow more serious. "So when are you gonna finish telling me about Retsu?"

"I don't know what you mean," Mizore whispered, turning away.

Danny wouldn't let her off so easy. "Come on Mizore. You gave us the cliffnotes version yesterday, I want the whole story. You were plenty pissed, so I know the two of you didn't just 'grow apart'."

Mizore turned back to look at him, and met those blue eyes of his. Soon as she did she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid the topic anymore. She sighed in defeat.

"Retsu wasn't just some friend from back home, she was my best friend. Hell, she was my only friend," the snow woman said solemnly. "It was always so lonely back there. I guess you could say I kind of stood out from the other snow women. She was the only one who made me feel like I wasn't strange. Like there was someone who was like me…" Mizore paused for a moment as she remembered the good times she and Retsu had once had.

"Anyway," she continued, "One day she comes to me and says she's running away. She never told me where she was going or what she was going to do, just that she was tired of living in some 'snow covered trash heap'. She asked me to go with her."

"What did you do?" Danny asked.

Mizore gave a weary chuckle. "I said no. I told her that I might feel out of place sometimes, but it was still my home. I had people, family, there that I loved. I couldn't just leave it all behind for no reason. Before I realized it, Retsu had flipped. She started going on about how I was a coward, how I was a stupid little girl who would be stuck there forever and never feel like I belonged. Then she just…smiled. Then she attacked me. Hit me with a wave of ice. I was unconscious for three days… When I came to, she was gone. Yesterday was the first time I'd seen her in probably four years."

Danny noticed that Mizore was trembling. He had never seen the normally impassive woman so emotional, so sad. He put his arms around her shoulders, holding her in a strong embrace. Mizore returned it, thankful for his support.

"She was wrong, Mizore," Danny whispered as he held her. "She was wrong about everything, especially you being a coward. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"She wasn't completely wrong," Mizore said pulling back. "After Retsu left, there was no one. I was back to being alone. For years I lived with that feeling that I didn't belong, that I would _never_ belong. Until I met you. You and the others, and for the first time in so long, I don't feel alone."

This time when Mizore looked Danny in the eye, his throat went dry. Her eyes seemed to shine even brighter than before, almost dancing in the light like an aurora. She smiled at him, a grateful smile that made his heart jump inside his chest.

"Thank you," she breathed, biting back thankful tears.

Danny was unsure how to respond to Mizore's heartfelt words. Then an idea occurred to him. He took the girl's hands in each of his and cupped them together. His hands began to shine with blue light around hers, something that would have frozen anyone else's but Mizore's. She could feel something moving between her palms as the light shone in front of her. Then as quickly as it came, the glow faded. Danny opened their hands, revealing a crystal rose in Mizore's upturned palms.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Well, how did I do? Those of you who are current on the manga will understand some of the references I made to Mizore and her life back home. And before you all start thinking this is now a DannyxMizore fic, it isn't. I wanted to throw in an extra romance chapter for Danny's two other main squeezes, Mizore and Kurumu. The ones in the manga really suck in my opinion, they're almost all about the girls friendship growing and not about how the hero's conflicted in his love life. Then again, Tsukune knows he wants Moka. He just doesn't know how to tell the other girls (pussy ass bastard). Danny has feelings for all three and doesn't know who he likes the most. I mean come on, what teenage boy knows exactly what type of girl he wants. I sure as hell didn't. I played the field in high school and I'm still not 100% on my 'type'. Well, I digress. Not gonna throw in any special Moka chapters cause she gets all the canon one's anyway and in all honesty, that's unlikely to change, but I'll try and fix that a little.

Okay, I've been getting a lot of questions about Dani and Dark Danny lately. Let me point out that I would like to work them in, but I have not yet decided whether I will for certain, let alone where they will appear. But I will say this, I've got a little gift in the next chapter that might help fuel your hope on at least one. Though it will probably make you all the more impatient too and you'll just bug me even more. Heheheh...oh well. Review time!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

**chm01:** All I can say is that I am seriously considering it...**_very_ **seriously.

**Assault Godzilla:** First off, there are no stupid questions, just some that don't require answers. As you can see Danny is back at Youkai so that one kind of answered itself. As for the girls meeting Sam and Tuck, yes I still plan for that to happen. Just waiting for the right moment. And the next major villain (at least story wise) will be the monstrels. Yep, going back to the main story here soon, but as you can see, I have a few surprises to play first. Hehehe...

**Phantomdemon2:** Thanks for all the input dude, I love it when reviewers pitch me ideas. Even if I don't use them specificly they've been known to cause inspiration so keep at 'em. Good job catching **Zenith010 **in the reviews. I'm counting on you to be my new enforcer on such matters soldier! *salutes* In regards to Sam's romantic involvement, haven't decided the extent of that yet. But as we all know she had feelings for him, and she always got hot and bothered when he looked awesome on the battlefield. Couldn't leave that out, especially when it was so perfect in a harem fic. Didn't you notice how I threw in a subtle hint that Valerie would start crushing on Danny too? Hehe...

**Okami Princess:** Happy Birthday again! Sorry your present is late but it has been a rough week, hope yours was better. By the way, yes Danny and Kadaj totally look alike in my opinion. Just give the Sephiroth wannabe a new hairstyle and you got Danny Phantom!

**Orchamus:** Who says they won't show up at Youkai? You know Johnny. Like he needs an invitation to go anywhere...

**King of the Fallen:** Thanks a lot man. I know what you mean about the two universes seeming like they've always been one in the same. This may be arrogant of me, but whenever I think of Rosario+Vampire I don't think of Tsukune anymore just Danny. I appreciate it.

**AquaInuAlchemist:** Wow...I think that might just be the nicest complement I've gotten since I started writing. A book? Really...? Thank you...

**DBZLOVER:** Dude I can't believe I did that! Thank you for pointing out that grave mistake, I can't believe I've been neglecting Inner Moka's victories. Maybe I did it because I knew Moka was the strongest and this fic is more about Danny. I love Inner Moka, I was just trying to make sure every chapter didn't end with her being the only one who did anything and some dramatic dash for the rosario. I will work on fixing that blunder soon, I promise. You will have to wait a few more chapters because of how the next few are set up, but I will get to it. As for the ghost attacks...well, you'll see.

**KittyAttack:** Thank you, thank you. To answer your question, I haven't decided. I've been spitballing a few other pairings in my head but that matter is still open for debate. If you have any input, be my guest and let me know.

So next up is Kurumu's special chapter. Truth be told, it's pretty much done. Finished it while I was doing some rewrite's on this one so you probably won't have to wait a week. It will mostly depend on your reviews so don't be stingy! But we'll have to wait and see. Laters!


	24. Chapter 24

I always seem to be running late, but as I said last chapter part of when this update's release depended on reviews. So blame yourselves! I'm so close to 500! I just wanted to make 475 before I updated but you guys hit 469 and stuck there. Shame!

lol Sorry, just kidding. I did want to hit 475 but I _did _leave you all hanging again and I have no real excuse. My bad... Okay, let's get to it!

Oh, anyone who doesn't love me by now is going to by the end of this chapter. Hehehehe Enjoy...

* * *

"So...you were controlling boys with your 'charm' and making them your slaves?"

"That's right," Kurumu nodded to the woman in front of her.

She was a tall, shapely woman with fiery red hair that put her red suit to shame. She was clearly proud of her figure as the jacket and white blouse hugged her body tightly and the red miniskirt she wore showed off her long legs. The woman's hair fell down to her shoulders, though it was raised high at the top, like a pair of horns. Her bright green eyes watched Kurumu intently over a pair of black shades.

"What's wrong?" the woman asked, instantly recognizing the girl's depressed tone of voice. "You sound upset. Most girls would kill to have that kind of power over men."

"It was cool, sure," the succubus sighed. "But in all that time I never had any real friends. They were like mindless drones, and I didn't realize how conceited I was being, how empty it made me feel not having anything real in my life…"

"_Delicious…_" the woman smirked. It was pouring off the girl in tremendous waves, so tantalizing and flavorful. That wonderful feeling that fed and sustained her. That sweet misery…

Suddenly it vanished, swept away by those disgusting feelings of hope and joy. It was all the woman could do not to sneer at Kurumu as the girl's face brightened ever so slightly. She knew what was coming. It was the same thing that happened every time that girl got cheery in their sessions.

_Him…_

"Until I met Danny," Kurumu smiled, confirming the woman's suspicion. "He was the first real thing I had. The first person I ever cared about."

"Ah, young love. So rare and so sweet," the woman said happily, while inside she was fighting the urge to gag. "Too bad he so obviously not interested in you."

Kurumu flinched."What?"

"_Much better_," the redhead grinned sadistically as the rush of despair instantly burst forth stronger than ever. This one was so easy.

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" the woman continued in false sweetness. "Every boy in school is gaga over Moka. And Danny is the girl magnet in the academy. They're both A-list. You think he's actually interested in a runner up when he's got the most popular and beautiful girl in school on his arm? Face it honey, you're just second place."

"No..." Kurumu whispered to herself, trying to ignore the sting of the woman's words.

"Actually, you're probably not even second," the green eyed lady smirked, relishing the feelings of sorrow radiating from the bluenette. "You told me he's been spending a lot of time with that Mizore girl lately. They must be really close after all that. Do you spend a lot of time alone with him?"

"Well…" Kurumu struggled to think of a time she'd had alone with Danny. A truly romantic moment like all the others seemed to have. The only memory she could come up with was their flight together after Danny had beaten Kuyou. It had been perfect, just like she had always dreamed. But Danny had gone to each of them, all the girls, and they had all had their own perfect moments with him. She wasn't special, not in the least.

"See?" the redhead finished, her victory clear by the dark cloud of misery swirling over the bluenette's head. "To him, the only thing you're good for is having a pair of boobs to squeeze."

Kurumu hung her head in defeat as the woman's words tore at her heart. She hated the thoughts, but she could not deny that they held a hint of truth. It was what made this woman so dangerous. Coupled with her sincere sounding voice it was enough to shatter Kurumu's resolve. The succubus was on the verge of tears, but she wouldn't cry. Such was the spell cast by this woman. Enough to break, but always leaving more to savor.

"So, while we're on the subject, why don't you tell me more about Danny," the woman smiled as she leaned back in her chair.

Kurumu sniffled a bit before she looked back at the woman's haunting green eyes. "What would you like to know Ms. Spectra?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So you and Mizore are going to stop your ice power training?" Moka asked as she and Danny made their morning walk toward the school. She tried to hide it but there was a hint of hopefulness in her voice. She was glad Danny was learning control of his power. But nearly a month of Mizore having him all to herself for a few hours a day? Moka was way past jealousy, she was flat out pissed. She knew Kurumu and Yukari were the same.

"Yep," Danny nodded, not noticing the sigh of relief that came from the pink haired girl. "We think I've learned everything I can from her, considering the difference in our powers."

"That's great," Moka smiled. "It will be good having you back."

"So you can suck my blood?" Danny asked slyly.

"Really? Thanks!" the vampire exclaimed going for the boy's neck.

"Moka wait! I didn't mean-!" He was cut off as something whizzed between the students heads and imbedded itself in a tree.

"Don't even think about it," Mizore glared at Moka, another ice dart hanging from her fingers. The vampire blushed at having been caught in the act.

"Hurry up you three! I've been waiting forever," Yukari called from the gate. The three friends all grinned and rushed over to join the impatient young witch.

As they did, the group couldn't help but feel as if something was missing. Normally as soon as the group approached there would be commotion. Boys would be gawking at Moka and girls would swoon over Danny. Mizore was no stranger to admirers either, though she normally kept hidden as she stalked Danny. Even Yukari had a loyal group of fanboys (which Danny had learned were called 'lolicons'). But despite the large number of students at the entrance, not a single eye turned to the Newspaper Club. If anything, many people seemed even more depressed, their heads hanging in sorrow like their dreams had been crushed.

"Is it just me, or is everyone really run down around here?" Mizore asked. The irony of the statement coming from the most withdrawn member of the group was not lost on the others.

"Now that you mention it," Danny replied looking around the less than enthusiastic schoolyard, "I've noticed the same thing. The academy's never this quiet. I'm especially curious about-"

"Kurumu!" Moka waved as the bluenette came into view. On instinct Danny braced himself for the familiar crash of the succubus crushing her breasts to his face. His eye opened slowly when the soft pillows never came.

Kurumu approached slowly, her eyes barely registering the others. The girl's usual high energy was significantly absent as her head hung low. Her four friends looked at her curiously as she came closer. As soon as she had joined them Mizore gave the succubus a sharp pinch, earning a loud yelp from the bluenette.

"What was that for?" Kurumu hissed angrily.

"Making sure you're not an ice clone," Mizore shrugged.

"Good idea," Yukari nodded matter-o-factly. "First we have a giddy Mizore, and now a depressed Kurumu. Last thing we need is Retsu making a return appearance after getting expelled."

"Well I'm me, you happy?" Kurumu nearly screamed.

"Kurumu calm down," Moka said, surprised at the girl's attitude.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked her, his voice clearly concerned.

Kurumu sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It's been a rough week. I'm not really myself lately."

"No kidding," Danny smiled trying to lighten the mood. "You haven't tried to smother me for days. Frankly, I think you've made me develop a fetish."

Spectra's words rang through Kurumu's head again. "You bastard! I'm not just a pair of boobs you can squeeze whenever you feel horny!"

The succubus turned and stormed off. "Kurumu, I was joking," Danny called after her. The other girls gave the halfa a harsh glare before Moka and Mizore chased after her. "I was joking!"

"Real mature Danny," Yukari rolled her eyes.

"C'mon I was just trying to cheer her up," the hybrid protested. "Any other time Kurumu would have cracked up at that."

"Maybe," Yukari admitted. "I guess that school counselor isn't doing so well."

"Counselor?"

"Yeah, you haven't heard?" the small witch quirked. "There's this 'teen therapist' from America, she's supposed to be fairly well known. The administration brought her here to go through all the classes and inspire the students this semester. She's having sessions with Kurumu's class this week."

"And she's a monster too?" Danny asked. He was surprised that the academy would fly in some random person from the US. This woman had to be something big.

"You'd assume," Yukari nodded. "One of the issues is supposed to be how the students will fit into the human world after all. I think Kurumu is supposed to meet her again later today."

"Well let's hope she helps her out," Danny sighed looking in the direction the other three had gone.

"Oh, and Danny?" Yukari added.

"Yeah-?" No sooner had the halfa turned back to her than the little witch had jumped up and completely covered his face with her body.

"If you really want to be smothered I'm happy to oblige…" she cooed, trying to sound seductive.

Danny quickly phased out of her grip and jumped back a few feet. "No! Bad Yukari!" Danny barked waving a finger at the girl.

"Oh come on, please?" Yukari pouted as she prepared to leap at him again.

"Get away-!" Danny yelped before making a break for it, Yukari right on his heels.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hyakken Uchida is a famous author who loved cats…" Ms. Nekonome carried on, though almost no one was paying attention to her lesson. She started writing off different types of cats that Uchida had had since he was a kid and the names of each one.

"_Where she gets this info I'll never know,_" Danny thought. He knew she'd be off on this rant for awhile before she got to any actual lesson so Danny turned in his chair to talk to Moka. No sooner had he done so then the vampire turned up her nose in contempt.

"Oh come on Moka," Danny whispered to the girl. "I was just trying to make Kurumu laugh. She seemed so down."

"You didn't have to be such a perv about it," Moka shot back.

"Look I'm sorry. You know I don't think before I speak," he pleaded. "It is a genetic abnormality in Fenton males that we will often open our mouths for the sole purpose of inserting our foots. I have undisputable evidence that I can show you if you're not fully convinced already."

Moka tried to hide her amusement, but the halfa would have none of it. He slowly opened his mouth while lifting his foot off the floor, inching them ever closer to each other. Finally the pink haired girl broke down in suppressed giggles. "You jerk," she smiled at him.

"Well I do my darndest," he grinned back. "So am I forgiven?"

"I guess," the vampire nodded. "But Kurumu is the one you really need to apologize to."

"I'd be more than happy too," Danny sighed. "Hey, when you talked to her, did you find out what was wrong? Other than my complete display of idiocy."

"Well other than you're a jerk for talking about her like a sex toy," Moka said with just a hint of disdain, "she said that her sessions with Dr. Spectra weren't going that well. She wouldn't say anymore."

"The guest counselor?"

Moka nodded. "You know, I don't get it. Teen's in America must be way different then us because her sessions seem to make everyone else feel worse."

"Yeah, even Mizore seemed like an icy ray of sunshine," Danny agreed.

"I swear it's like she's sucking the happiness out of everyone."

Danny froze. "What...?"

"Well we're just about the only class that hasn't had sessions with her yet and everyone here seems the same as always," Moka simply shrugged as the bell rang. Danny hesitated for a moment, his mind racing. In an instant he'd turned, grabbed his things, and was out the door before the bell had finished ringing.

Danny rushed through the sea of students already in the halls. Most seemed too lost in their own self pity to even notice him, not bothering to move out of his way. The halfa weaved his way between the mob of depressed faces, the sight of them spurring him to move all the faster. Finally after what felt like hours he saw his destination and dashed through the open door.

"Ms. Ririko, is Kurumu here?" Danny nbarked at the girl's homeroom teacher.

"Danny…" the busty, brunette cooed at the sight of him. "How is my favorite naughty boy?"

"Ms. Ririko please, this is important. Do you know where she is," Danny practically demanded. The woman paused for a moment, slightly taken aback by the carefree boy's sudden urgency.

"She went to her meeting with the guest counselor," Ririko simply shrugged. "She should be there right now."

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He uttered a quick thanks before running off again, nearly knocking down Moka and Mizore in the process.

"What's the rush?" Mizore asked before the halfa could take off again.

"I gotta find Kurumu, I think she's in trouble," Danny said.

"What? Danny you can't honestly think Ms. Spectra is causing trouble. I wasn't serious you know," Moka replied.

"But I think you were right!" Danny insisted. "It's like you said, everyone else seems miserable after talking to her. And if she is a monster, there's a chance she could do it, isn't there?"

"But why would the school bring in someone who does that? It doesn't make sense," Moka offered. Mizore nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you kidding me?" the halfa exclaimed. "Who am I talking to? Can't either of you think of _any_ time the faculty did something _unethical?_"

Both girls paused in thought, though neither one had to think for long. Moka remembered a seemingly nice art teacher who had wanted to turn the vampire into a work of art…literally. She could almost feel the bites from the woman's snake-like hair again, and the cold sensation of turning to stone. Mizore thought of the first time she had felt like she was in love at the school, and cringed as she remembered the coach's slimy tentacles coiling around her and dragging her over the edge of a cliff.

"They don't exactly have a clean track record…" Danny finished.

Moka looked back at him, her face deadly serious. "Ms. Spectra's office is this way," she nodded before bolting toward the stairs, Danny and Mizore close behind.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So any idea what type of monster she might be?" Danny asked as the three raced through the hallways.

"I've heard of monsters who mess with people's emotions before but I don't know any of them well enough to guess," Moka replied with increasing worry.

"I'm all for capital punishment, but are we sure we want to go busting in there and accusing her when all we have is a hunch?" Mizore asked. No sooner had the words passed her lips than a puff of blue mist passed Danny's. "Nevermind."

"There it is!" Moka cried, pointing to a door at the end of the empty hallway. The trio increased their pace to a full sprint, the concern for their friend trumping all other thoughts. Danny arrived first and reached for the doorknob.

"Can I help you?" a voice asked as a hand appeared from nowhere, catching Danny firmly by the wrist. The three friends jumped at the sudden appearance. They looked down in surprise at the hand's owner, a very short man with a dark grey head of hair and mustache. The stubby little man wore an ugly suit with a red sweater vest and black bow tie. The students didn't understand how they'd missed seeing him.

"Who are you?" Moka gasped.

"Bertrand, Penelope Spectra's personal assistant," the man grumbled in a whiny voice. "What do you kids want?"

"Sorry, we're looking for our friend Kurumu," Moka replied. In the meantime Danny tried to pull his hand back but the man was surprisingly strong, the grip almost painfully tight. Bertrand's eyes were cold and emotionless, so much so that Danny felt a chill throughout his body. He finally yanked his hand free and rubbed his sore wrist.

"She's in a session with Dr. Spectra and can't be disturbed," Bertrand growled, clearly annoyed. "Now get to class, you're going to be late anyway."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Mizore rolled her eyes. "We're not interested in her schedule Stumpy."

"What she means," Moka chuckled nervously, "is that we need to see Kurumu right away. It's really important."

"Fascinating…" Bertrand said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "And _I'm _not interested in your needs."

"Look, we won't be long, we just need-" Danny trailed off. As he spoke, more blue mist accompanied his words. He didn't understand why that would happen. Normally, once he had detected the primary release of supernatural energy, Danny's ghost sense would stop producing the mist, though the chill he felt would linger. But now it was still pouring out of him in warning, almost like his powers knew something his mind didn't.

Until his mind caught up.

"You're a ghost!"

Bertrand's eyes widened in shock. He reacted quickly, his body flared green and released a surge of energy that threw the trio back down the hall. They looked back at him in surprise and were met with a disgusting sight as Bertrand melted into a mass of green ooze that slathered itself over the floor.

"I don't know how you figured that out kid," Bertrand's voice bubbled out of the puddle. "But I can't have you ruining things when we're this far along. Spectra would have my head."

The goo inched closer to them, rising up from the floor as it moved. A pair of pure red eyes wormed to the surface, their glow casting an eerie light over Moka, the closest of the three. Two disgusting clawed hands formed and reached out at her from the muck, and an enormous mouth with dripping fangs opened wide to swallow her whole.

Suddenly the ghost's advance was halted as he collided with an emerald dome that separated him from the pink haired girl. Again his eyes grew in wonder as he recognized the familiar energy of the ectoplasmic shield. He saw the look of relief on Moka's face, and looked up to see the black haired young man, hands against the construct he'd made to protect her.

"Have your head, huh?" Danny grinned. "Let me save her the trouble."

The ghost shield shrank at Danny's words, narrowing down from a dome to a long green disk. The ghost boy gripped the circle of energy like a Frisbee and swung his arm. The razor thin edge ripped through the blob-like ghost, separating his upper body in a clean slice. Both halves of Bertrand's body dropped to the ground with a loud and nasty splat.

"You two okay?" Danny asked offering a hand to each of the girls which they gratefully accepted.

"Yeah, thanks," Moka breathed in relief, Mizore also nodding her appreciation. "That was scary. I've never seen a real ghost before, present company excluded of course."

"I know what you mean. Freaked me out seeing one here, too. Especially after the headmaster told me I was the only one," Danny agreed.

"Is every ghost this gross?" Mizore asked, cautiously poking a blob of Bertrand's remains.

"No, some of them look normal enough. I mean he looked human a second ago. I figure Spectra does, too," Danny shrugged. "Guess you don't have to be half ghost to pass as human."

"Half ghost?" the ooze said, making everyone jump back in surprise. "So you're the halfa that stupid Box Ghost is always going on about? I thought he made you up…" The two puddles began moving again, merging back into one. And once again, Bertrand's body rose up from the floor.

"You know the Box Ghost?" Danny exclaimed overcoming his shock at the ghost's rapid recovery. Running into another ghost was unexpected enough, but running into another ghost with a common acquaintance? That was too strange to be coincidence.

"Unfortunately," Bertrand sighed as he became complete once more. "Guess this explains why we thought you were just a rumor, hiding here of all places."

"Student transfer, what are you gonna do?" Danny shrugged, though his voice held a no lack of sternness. "You realize of course that you're still in our way."

Bertrand cocked an eyebrow at the halfa. "And just what are you gonna do about it?"

Danny sighed in annoyance. "Well I guess we'll start with the usual."

With a flash the familiar white rings appeared, turning Danny from Fenton to Phantom. The two ghosts stared each other down before a thin smile spread over Bertrand's lips. He leaned forward, the thick goo of his body becoming softer and smoother. It turned black in places, covering his back in stripes as the gel turned to fur. The ghost's hands turned to paws and he fell forward onto them as a pair of legs grew from the ooze at his base, complete with swishing tail. He licked the chops of his fang filled mouth as it popped forward on his face and became a cat-like snout.

Danny and the girls looked in surprise at the tiger that growled menacingly at them. Without warning the beast sprang forward, claws reaching out for the halfa. Danny met him head on, slipping by the claws and catching Bertrand under the neck with his forearm. The two pushed against each other, both trying to force the other to the ground.

"Danny!" Moka and Mizore cried in alarm.

"I'm fine," the halfa growled as he and the beast matched their strength. "You guys get to Kurumu, I'll take the cat out." With that he and Bertrand turned a light blue and flew up through the roof and out of the building.

"You think he'll be okay?" Moka asked in concern.

"Danny can take that walking lugie," Mizore said turning back down the hall. "Come on, we've got to save that stupid succubus."

The two rushed the office. Mizore wasted no time opening the door, choosing instead to shatter it as her icy claws burst forth. They burst in, not sure of what to make of the scene that met them. Kurumu sat in a chair in the center of the room, her head hanging as she stared at the floor. She didn't even acknowledge their sudden appearance. Nor the strange green cloud that was swirling above her, fed by smoke that was radiating off the girl. It was so large it nearly filled the room.

Penelope Spectra was leaning against her desk, a mischievous grin on her face. She stared at the bluenette from behind her black shades. She turned casually to the two intruders, ignoring the cold glares they gave her.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?"

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as they were out of the building Danny pushed Bertrand away with a blast of energy. The tiger twisted as he flew backward and landed safely on the roof. He rushed Danny again, moving far faster than a creature his size should be able to. The halfa was leveled as the shapeshifter tackled him. Bertrand's claws sank deep into Danny's chest, earning a satisfying cry of pain.

Danny fought back, planting his feet into the green cat's stomach and throwing him off. He struggled to his feet, but the shapeshifter gave him no time to catch his breath, slamming him hard against the roof's guardrail. The iron bent under the weight of the two clashing specters.

"And here I heard you were supposed to be some big tough guy around here," Bertrand grinned as his claws once again sank deep into Danny. "Yet here you are, with a power most ghosts would kill for, and this is the best you can do?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny groaned in pain.

"That aura!" the tiger spat in frustration. "Almost no one has that kind of power anymore, at least not naturally. The only ones I know who can mimic that trick have to feed off something, like Spectra does with misery. Me? The best I get is her scraps. Though it does make me tough enough to handle some amateur like you."

"Keep telling yourself that Tony," Danny growled placing a hand in Bertrand's chest. It glowed bright green as Danny filtered his energy to his palm. "Cause me, I'm _grrrrrreat!_"

Danny's ghost ray slammed point blank into the shapeshifter, driving him all the way to the other end of the roof. Bertrand turned back into his blob-like form and clutched the smoking wound in his chest. Danny walked toward him slowly, giving himself a moment to recover while the ghost was trying to do the same.

"Don't forget pal, normally the toughest ghost I take on is your box loving buddy," Danny shot with a crack of his knuckles. "You just caught me off guard, that's all. I didn't think you'd be this strong. Especially since you look like something another ghost puked up."

"My, you are clever, aren't you?" Bertrand sneered at the halfa. "I wonder if your pretty friend will be as clever now that Spectra's drained her dry…"

"What?" Danny gasped in worry, turning back the way they came. It would cost him, as the moment he looked away Bertrand charged, his body already morphing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're Moka and Mizore, right?" Spectra smiled sweetly at the two intruders. "Kurumu's told me so much about you."

"What did you do to her?" Moka cried in worry. She had run over to check on Kurumu, but even face to face the succubus didn't seem to notice her existence. Her eyes simply stared straight ahead, completely void of expression.

Spectra simply continued as though nothing was wrong. "I didn't do anything. We were just talking and she went all zombie on me. I think she might have dozed off or something."

"Bullshit," Mizore spat. "We don't know what you've been doing, but your slimeball assistant pretty much told us that you were the one causing the students to act so sick. So spill it ghost."

"My, my, you know about that? I'm really going to have to punish Bertrand for running that fat mouth of his," Spectra said with an amused sigh. "Or from that aura I just felt, it seems you've got a ghostly friend of your own who's doing that for me."

"Just tell us what happened to Kurumu!" Moka screamed.

"Fine, if you insist," the woman in red replied nonchalantly. "It's quite simple really, I feed on misery. It's what keeps me looking so fabulous. There are many different ghosts that draw power from objects or people to increase their own. It will only be a temporary fix, but it beats being a nothing in the Ghost Zone." Spectra's lip curled in a snarl when she mentioned being a nothing. It was likely she had experienced that once before, and wasn't about to return to that feeling willingly.

"Anyway," she continued pleasantly. "Teenagers are always so full of angst, it's so easy to draw the misery from them. So I go to different schools as the 'caring' counselor and find the students 'Achilles heel', if you will. Then I just enjoy the sweet flavor as they break down around me."

"Then why is Kurumu like this?" Moka asked.

"Well, I might have gotten a little carried away on her," Spectra giggled. "She's one of my personal favorites. A girl who keeps all her sorrow locked away while showing the world that joyful mask of hers. And so _much_ sorrow. I just couldn't get enough of her delicious pain…"

"What? Sorrow...?" Moka was stunned. How could Kurumu; bubbly, excited, always cheery Kurumu, be this miserable and depressed girl that Spectra spoke of?

"I think you've had enough, you pig," Mizore spat, having heard enough. She threw out her arms and fired a swarm of ice shards at the woman. Spectra merely grinned. With a quick wave of her hand the icicles were shattered midflight.

"Weren't you paying attention?" Spectra chuckled, her voice becoming a deep hiss. "I gain power from misery. I just emptied your friend of everything she had. I've been at this school over a month, gaining more and more power. What do you think you're gonna do against me now?"

The woman's body was engulfed by shadow that flickered like a black flame over her form. All three girls were thrown hard against the back wall as the room filled with Spectra's cold energy and laughter.

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny grunted in pain as he somersaulted through the air, trying to tear off the ghostly anaconda that was coiled around him. The massive green snake Bertrand had turned into was furiously crushing the halfa. Danny was having a difficult time staying in the sky as the air was forced from his lungs and his bones and muscles strained in effort.

"What did you mean 'drained her dry'?" Danny managed to ask, concern for Kurumu still fueling him.

Bertrand hissed in laughter. "Your little friend Kurumu was practically an empty shell when you kids showed up."

"Empty shell?" Danny panted. "Stop talking in riddles, what is she doing to Kurumu?"

"Jeez, you're thick kid! Here, I'll make it nice and simple. Push someone hard enough and they'll have a total mental breakdown. It happens sometimes when Spectra finds someone she _really_ likes," Bertrand hissed as he twisted tighter. He leaned in closer, his scaled lips an inch from Danny's ear. "I can see why she's so addicted to your girl. I've sampled some of her misery myself and it's just so damn yummy. And that body? I'd love to get my coils around that. It's just so _sssssssweet…_"

Danny's eyes flashed blue at the ghost's words. "You're not gonna touch her!"

Bertrand felt a shiver as the ghost boy's body began to shine with blue light. He looked down in horror as his reptilian form started to freeze. He tried to release the halfa and escape but his muscles were already frozen in place. He let out a pained scream just before his head was encased in ice. With a strained roar Danny broke free, sending chunks of the shapeshifter in all directions. He paused for just a moment to catch his breath before he rocketed back toward Spectra's office.

XXXXXXXXXX

"_So delicious,_" Spectra thought as she drank in the girls' misery. Her fiery black form stood over them as her violet ghost ray washed over their bodies. Kurumu was still oblivious to the world around her, only knowing that her body was tingling with pain from the purple light, and Moka and Mizore were clearly overpowered by the shadowy ghost. This only increased the anguish in their hearts, making Spectra all the stronger.

"It's so good!" the ghost moaned. "You three don't even realize how much anguish you keep locked away! I want more sorrow. I need more pain!"

"Coming right up!"

Danny burst into the room, slamming both his fists into Spectra at high velocity. She was thrown to the other side of the room and hit the wall so hard she nearly shattered it. Danny stopped to check on the girls. They all appeared injured from Spectra's ghost rays, but Moka and Mizore were already getting up. Kurumu was another story. She lay there, eyes open and emotionless, the only indication she was alive was the rise and fall of her chest.

With a roar of anger Danny's energy spiked again. He rushed Spectra full speed, his body crackling with electricity like a green lightning bolt. He tackled her through the wall, carrying her into the air as he shocked her. Moka and Mizore rushed to the broken wall, hoping to see what was happening but powerless to help as the two ghostly form's rose higher into the air. They were so concerned with the spectre's that they failed to notice the bluenette's hand twitch.

"Danny…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Danny fed all the strength he could into his ghost stinger. He wanted to make this woman suffer for what she'd done to the school. To his friends. But most of all, for what she'd done to Kurumu.

"You're going to fix everything you've done, starting with Kurumu," Danny shouted with a punch to her stomach to emphasize his point.

"Yes…" Spectra whispered, much to Danny's surprise. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. "Yes…" she whispered again. "Yes! _That's! IT!_"

Spectra let out a scream of ecstasy. Her ghostly tail coiled around Danny's torso like Bertrand had minutes before. Her body felt like a burning snake and it snuffed out his electric attack as his body was tormented by pain. The black flames crushed and squeezed him all at once and Danny cried out in agony from her onslaught.

"Oh there is truly nothing better than a hero's misery," Spectra moaned in bliss. "The doubts in yourself. The fear that you won't be able to save anyone. It's so strong and intoxicating. Nothing like it in the world!"

"Shut up you-ugh!" Danny groaned as he tried to break free, but the shadowy specter held him all the tighter.

"You're the halfa, aren't you?" the woman smirked. "I knew it! That annoying little succubus wouldn't spill but I figured it out."

"What are you- talking about-?" Danny panted. He was getting real tired of asking that question. Almost as much as getting squeezed like a lemon.

"Well you _are_ Kurumu's favorite subject," Spectra giggled darkly. "I tried so hard to learn about you so I could take you apart at the seams when you walked into my office. But no, no matter how miserable I made her she wouldn't tell me your secrets. But she slipped up enough that I figured it out for myself…"

"You're gonna regret using her like this," Danny growled through clenched teeth. He tried to freeze her like he had her henchman, but the black flames just burned all the hotter, making Danny's suffering that much worse.

"Oh she wasn't nearly as useful as you…" the misery eater chuckled.

"Wha-?"

"You've become quite popular in this school, little ghost boy," she smiled sweetly. "Do you know how many girls want you, but are too scared to approach? How many boys envy you, but can't hope to measure up? All because you had a lucky twist of fate. You were my most valuable tool in feasting on this academy's sorrow!"

Spectra cackled in mad glee as Danny's horror increased at the thought of what he might have caused. The waves of misery were so strong they were visible as green smoke burned off of him and into her. She had never felt this strong or this incredible since she'd tasted her first sweet sample of the delicious emotion. It was so wonderful she'd thought she might actually become full. But no, she'd never be sated. She needed more, and she knew just how to get it.

"Your little succubus friend was especially fun to toy with," she smiled. "Every time she mentioned you she got a little spark of hope. It was so much fun to smash it to pieces. And easy, too, I just had to mention something as simple as her being second place in your heart and she was crushed."

"But that's not-" Danny tried to say but Spectra squeezed him all the tighter, killing the words in his throat.

"Whatever," the woman said simply. "It is your fault, and now there's nothing left of your little blue haired friend."

"Wanna bet?"

Both ghosts turned in surprise at the shout. Kurumu was charging through the air faster then she'd ever flown, certainly faster than she should be able to, her wings pumping with everything she had. Her nails were growing in length as they sharpened into her deadly weapons. With a last furious effort she swung her hand…

Spectra didn't know how it was possible. She'd been doing her little draining game for decades and Kurumu wasn't the first to be reduced to a catatonic state. She also wasn't the first to recover. A few others people had managed to snap out of their depression. But it had taken years! This girl had somehow pulled herself back in _minutes!_ By the time Spectra had pulled herself together she'd lost precious time to dodge or counter. No matter, she thought. Her color shifted to a luminescent blue as she went intangible so the attack would pass right through her…

Spectra screamed as Kurumu's nails slashed away at her face. "You bitch! How did-? When-? What's-?" The misery eater roared in confusion and hate. She was oblivious to the world around her, save for the weary succubus that seemed to be struggling just to hover now. The annoying demon had dared to assault her beauty and her red eyes were burning with malice. "I'll kill you, you little-"

She fell silent as a chilling feeling washed over her. Spectra was an old ghost. One of the reasons she used misery was to maintain her youth. And she was old enough to remember the chill of a ghost with _real_ power, not some pitiful imitation like what she stole to obtain. That's why when she looked at Danny, whose aura was the genuine article, she was stunned beyond words. Especially since it was rising to a terrifying level. The halfa's glowing green eyes stared through her with nothing less than pure hatred.

If ghost's would have had the ability, Spectra would have shit herself.

"You like negative emotions so much?" Danny seethed as his entire aura collected in his hands. "Well here's a heapin' helpin' of _PISSED OFF!_"

Danny fired off the brilliant and powerful ghost ray that had felled nearly every member of the Public Safety Commission so many months ago. The attack, that the girls had lovingly dubbed his 'Aura Strike', completely engulfed the misery eater in green light. She screamed in agony as the beam tore away at her, the flames of her body flickering and fading under its intensity. Her helpless cry echoed through the air until the last when Danny's attack finally faded away, and the ghost was gone.

Danny let out a tired sigh. "Now who's miserable? Right-"

He gasped as Kurumu fell from the sky, all her strength exhausted to give him the precious moments he needed. Danny shot to her like a bullet, catching her gently in his arms.

"Haven't we been here before?" Danny joked only to be surprised by the tears streaming down her face.

"Danny, I'm so sorry," Kurumu sobbed. "You all got hurt because I wasn't strong enough- I wasn't smart enough to figure it out- I-"

"Hey!" Danny snapped, much to the girl's alarm. "I think we've all had enough misery for one day. Keep talking like that and I'm gonna drop you," he said firmly before holding her tighter against his chest. "And for the record," he whispered to her softly. "You have never been second place to me."

Kurumu's eyes widened in shock at his words. He smiled at her, a smile she gratefully returned before exhaustion overcame her. The succubus nuzzled her blue hair into his shoulder and fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my gosh, it's Danny!"

"There's Moka! Oh she's so gorgeous!"

"Yukari, my cute little blossom!"

"Mizore, is with them! My beloved ice queen…"

"Great," the snow woman rolled her eyes. "Now I'm gonna have to start sneaking in here again."

"At least everyone seems to be back to their old selves," Moka giggled at the blushing snow woman.

"I can't believe I missed it!" Yukari whined for about the eighth time that morning. "Not only did I not get to help, but I missed seeing a real ghost! No offense Danny."

"None taken," the ghost boy grinned. "But you didn't miss much. One looked like snot, and the other looked like a shadow, that's pretty much it. I've seen a lot of ghosts with cooler forms then that. Though I'll admit, they were definitely the toughest ones I ever took on."

"I would hope so. That energy was really scary. And the feeling when she was using our misery to drain us…" Moka shivered in disgust at the memory.

"Yeah," Mizore nodded in agreement. "I don't know how bazooka girl was able to put up with that for so long."

"Speaking of, where is-" Danny began before a soft and familiar embrace muffled his sentence, "-Mururmur…"

"Danny, I'm so sorry," Kurumu cooed playfully as she engulfed his face with her breasts. "I've been neglecting you lately. Here now, let me make it up to you…"

"Kurumu, do you have to do that every day?" Moka barked in annoyance.

"No kidding, some of us were actually enjoying the less-ditzy you," Yukari added, not noticing the halfa's hand already going lax.

"You're all just jealous because you know how much Danny likes it," the bluenette snapped back. She hugged Danny tighter and ran her fingers through his dark hair. "Don't you Danny? After all, I believe you said something about a fetish? Danny…?"

She pulled his head back with a look of curiosity. Danny was passed out, blood running from his nose and a wide smile on his face.

Mizore rolled her eyes. "Damn it, Kurumu, again?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Up above them, a man clad in a white robe watched the group of friends from his office. He looked down through the window, his ever present grin stretching wide beneath his hood. His gold eyes glanced toward the corner of the room, where a pair of red eyes floated in the dark shadow.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a look? It's always an amusing show in my opinion," the headmaster chuckled as the girls tried to revive the unconscious halfa.

"I've seen it before," the darkened figure replied simply.

"Yes, I suppose you would have," the robed man nodded. "By the way, thank you for recommending Spectra. I already sent her and her lackey back to the Ghost Zone. She made for an excellent way to test the girls' strength of will in addition to Danny."

"I knew she would. The woman has a way with words."

"I'll say. Danny hit her so hard he nearly killed her. In a manner of speaking, that is," the man in white smirked. "He seems to have become a bit more ruthless in battle. Reminds me of that 'story' you told me about him."

The shadow let out a single note of amusement. "That's to be expected. He seems to understand less and less about his powers the more they grow. The whole 'superhero' business was just an attempt to comprehend what they were for. After all, what teenage boy wants the responsability of protecting an entire city. But here, he actually knows what is impotant to him, so it's only natural he would fight with everything he has to protect it. It's not his fault that he doesn't know the limits of his strength."

"Fair enough. We're just as unsure, after all. That's one of the reasons we decided to have this little test," the headmaster shrugged. "So you're not having second thoughts?"

"No, I still think that Danny is the best choice," the shadow said firmly. "And if you're not already convinced, you will be soon. Besides, it's too late to change things now. It has been since the moment he was hit by that bike."

The headmaster raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Even for you?"

There was a long, drawn out pause. The shadow didn't answer, the glowing red eyes simply faded from sight, a few last words accompanying their departure.

"There is someone here for a job as your assistant. I highly recommend her."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. The headmaster uttered a low laugh at his old friend before going to answer.

* * *

Was I right? Do you love me?

Well love me or hate me, you have to admit, I can write a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more.

Well, we finally got one of Danny's enemies to visit Youkai Academy. _So stop bugging me about it!_ Ahem, sorry. Anyway, Spectra and Bertrand made an appearance, but what's this? It was a setup! Who could this mysterious shadow be that was secretly working with the headmaster? If you're as big a Danny Phantom fan as I am, you already know. Go ahead and ask, but I'm not telling. Yes I know there will be begging and pleading and all sorts of threats, but you will just have to wait. All will be revealed in the passage of time.

Reviews!

* * *

Thanks again to all my reviewers!

**FlaraShadowora:** Man, I wish I could write something about Kurumu's past like I did Mizore's. Sadly, it's the fact that I know so much about Mizore's past that let me use it. As it is now, the only other girl I can do that for is Moka. I'm glad you liked Retsu, I intend a few other OCs down the line and I hope they go as well. I might have an answer for the 'air extraction' but I dunno yet. As for Dani and Dark Dan, all I can say is I hope I gave you a little hope today.

**Raidentensho:** Let's just say Danny learned a few tricks with his ice powers. They still function differently then Mizore's but she still had some influence on his learning curve. Don't know about the mini reference's you mentioned or how close the cloning power is. All I can say is Danny has gotten more badass (God help us).

**Zenith010:** Don't beat yourself up, we all make mistakes. And that is an easy one to miss if you're not paying close attention. I hope everyone busted a gut when they read the 'make a baby' line. My beta did and I think it's safe to say that is the funniest line I've written thusfar. Now the school festival is still a little ways off. About two months story time, but no telling writing time.

**Phantomdemom2:** Good work soldier! All ideas noted and filed away for future use! Carry on! Oh, and Danny's powers are all ghost. The vampire blood basically supercharges his own abilities. At least for now, hehehehe...

**Assault Godzilla:** *loads revolver* I'm good, thanks to a few modifications by **S. Knightshade**, this baby works just fine. Who needs a BFG? Hehehehe. Anyway this chapter already answered a few of your questions. In case you missed **Phantomdemon2**'s review, I am a guy. I'm guessing the rest were rhetorical since you know how I am.

**Roziaiss Sang:** Well Mr. Sang, nice to have a review from you. I follow the manga mostly, but tie into the anime at certain points.

**Aryashi:** Yeah, it's great when life works out that way. Okay, I admit I've made it hard to find fault in Danny. But there is reason for that. Let's not forget that Danny has screwed up, namely when he and Moka nearly joined the Swim Club. He has been controled by his emotions, but that normally ends bad for his opponent. You see, ever since Danny got his first blood injection from Moka, he's been worlds beyond what he was in the tv series, in power, skill, and attitude. I think of him as kind of a Dante (from Devil May Cry) in training. And his challenges will keep getting harder, so there will be plenty more chances to 'humanize' him. As for Gin, he always disappears in the manga. Awesome as he is, he's still not a major player so he will come when his part comes to play. And his part will be good...

**Truth Squad:** Kokoa and Dani, both characters that I love. Still, they have to wait their turns. Kokoa in particular, since she doesn't show up til Season II.

**Negima Uzumaki:** No. Idea.

**S. Knightshade:** Glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I have the same pet peeve as you about the other girl's, and I hope to fix that in this story. Sorry I confused you with the girl's reactions to the fake Mizore, but you have to keep in mind, Danny may have lectured them about trusting one another, but that doesn't mean it took. After all, if you look at that chapter again the girl's started arguing not 30 seconds after they thought Danny was gone. Besides, even if they have a deeper trust for one another than in the manga (which I believe they due thanks to the change in circumstances) if Danny seems to be favoring one more than the others, then _of course_ they'll get jealous. Retsu was just lucky they didn't attack her ice doll out of spite! They were too busy trying to figure out Danny's reaction to the 'new Mizore'. Yes, I am loving my new toy, thanks again. And in response to your PPS, can you send me that proposition again, I accidentaly deleted it. Hehehe, sorry. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

**darkhero what must be done:** Sadly no. You will have to wait for season 2. Sorry...

**Storylover213:** Ghostly wail is coming. As for who Danny will date, that's anyone's guess right now (including mine).

**The Kyudaime Kitsukage:** Thank you Kitsukage, I hope this story continues to impress.

Well that does it for Kurumu's chapter. It's time to get back to the main story. That doesn't necessarily mean that I won't write more of Danny's foes into the mix, I just can't get off track for too long. Let's face it, I'm not moving as fast as _any_ of us would like and I've got a _lot _of ground to cover. And I think that just about wraps things up so I guess I'd better get to it. Later!


	25. Chapter 25

For all those who want to see my sincerest apologies towards my not so short hiatus, take a moment to check out my profile to know just how sorry I am. For those of you who just want to see the next step in Danny's adventures, I think I've kept you waiting long enough...

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"Ready ladies?" Danny asked.

"Ready!" Yukari, Mizore, and Kurumu all declared.

"Alright then," Danny said placing his hand on the tree next to him and turning it intangible. "Yukari, go!"

"Right!" the young witch smiled summoning her magic tarot cards and sending them toward the tree. They flew by the tree, leaving visible damage in the intangible bark.

"It worked!" Moka cheered from the sidelines.

"We're finally getting somewhere," Danny grinned in satisfaction. "Mizore, you're up."

"Right," the snow woman said firing off ice shards from her sleeve. As they struck the tree, the icicles slowed slightly but continued through it to the other side.

"My turn!" Kurumu chimed in. She rushed the tree with her long nails extended and slashed away at its side. Again the tree took visible damage as bark was chipped away.

"Well I'd say this experiment was a success," Moka smiled as the group inspected the damage done to the tree.

"Yeah," Danny agreed, removing his hand from the transluscent tree and letting it return to normal. "I always thought there was something wrong with my intangibility when I took damage in fights, but thanks to Kurumu slashing Spectra's face, we know better."

"So what do you think it is? Can monsters just naturally hurt ghosts?" Moka asked.

"Can't be," Mizore said motioning to some strange rings on the tree bark. "Look at where my ice hit the wood. You can see marks where it passed through, but it's almost like it healed and left a scar."

"You're right," Yukari nodded, the little genius' mind racing at the mystery. "And remember when I first met all of you? My class representative went right through Danny when he tried to bite him. So there must be more to it."

"Well maybe he was just too weak to hurt our Danny," Kurumu purred, cuddling up to the halfa.

Yukari rolled her eyes. "Kurumu, I don't think that-"

"_**Actually, that makes sense,**_" Moka's rosary said as it began to glow.

A pleased grin spread across Danny's lips as the cross began to speak with Inner Moka's confident tone."Man, I have missed the sound of your voice. It has been over a month. Why don't we hear from you more often?"

"_**A-as I was saying,**_" the seal continued, flustered and slightly pinker at the boy's flattery. "_**Alone lizardmen are extremely weak. It is why they tend to group together. The other two were already unconscious in that battle, so by himself the leader's aura wasn't strong enough to cancel out Danny's intangibility.**_"

"You really think aura has something to do with it?" Outer Moka asked her sealed self.

"Why not?" Danny shrugged. "You guys are always talking about how Moka at full power is an S-class monster. I don't really get it, but after seeing you guys fight I'm betting you're all above average. Maybe that's all it takes, enough demonic energy."

"But then why do Yukari's cards work?" Kurumu wondered.

"_**Because she is a witch,**_" Inner Moka answered. "_**Her power comes from spirits, and a ghost is just a more powerful form of a spirit. If anything, her attacks seem to be the most effective.**_"

"Good point," Outer Moka agreed as she surveyed the three damaged sites. It was true that Yukari's cards had seemed to do the most damage, the slash marks being far deeper and more prominent in her case than Kurumu's, whose attacks had already seemed to start 'healing' like the ice had. "But then what about Mizore? I'd think she and Kurumu are around the same strength so why were her attacks ineffective?"

"Maybe I just didn't hit it hard enough," the snow woman answered. "Danny, make it intangible again."

The halfa complied and the tree turned a luminescent blue signaling it was intangible. Mizore backed up and the others followed suit, giving her room. The snow woman placed her hand on the ground and a moment later her ice sprang from the dirt and charged the tree. It struck the wood hard with a loud snapping sound as the trunk gave way. The girls cried out as the tree began to fall toward them but Danny fired a quick ghost ray as it fell, pushing it away from the four.

"Better," Mizore grinned in satisfaction as the tree crashed to the ground. "My first attack just didn't carry enough energy to do any real damage. But I'm more than strong enough to get the job done."

"Note to self," Danny said aloud. "Do not get these girls mad at you, because intangibility can't save you anymore."

"_**Or any ghosts for that matter,**_" the rosary said with an extra hint of pride. "_**Now we know that we can hurt ghosts if they ever attack again. Next time, you won't have to fight them alone.**_"

"Let's hope we don't have to worry about a next time," Moka smiled sheepishly. She was in no hurry to face another enemy like Spectra again whose mere prescence and words could bring Kurumu, Mizore, and herself to their knees. But Moka was never one to let a sour past keep her from a cheerful present. "Come on everybody, it's time to get to class. I just know that today's going to be a good day."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Alright everyone," Ms. Nekonome cheered as her students settled into their seats. "As you know, the school festival is coming up very soon. So it's time we start getting things ready before it's too late."

"I'm surprised you actually remembered this time, teach," Danny joked, earning a giggle from some of his classmates.

"Well, the school festival is very important," Nekonome blushed. In truth, the only reason she remembered was because of the cold look Ms. Ririko had given her earlier that morning regarding 'a teacher's duty'. "And that's why we'll be counting on you Mr. Class President."

There was a round of applause from the other students. Danny sighed in amusement. "_Why do they always cheer?_"

"What's with you morons?" an angry voice snapped as someone slammed open the door and entered the classroom. Someone Danny hadn't seen in a long time.

"Oh, Saizou, you're late," Nekonome said as the first demon Danny ever fought walked into the room.

The self-proclaimed rouge monster gave the halfa an angry sneer as he entered. "Class president huh? Man these chumps must think you're some real slick shit," Saizou hissed with a lick of his lips. "All these rumors about the 'invincible' Danny Fenton. But me, I know better. You couldn't beat me in a one-on-one, and without your little girlfriend, you're nothing."

"That so, tongue-boy?" Danny grinned, rising from his seat. "Well maybe you'd like to test that theory. I'd love to finish what we started last semester..."

Saizou growled as Danny's eyes flashed green. He couldn't believe the arrogant little punk was calling him out in front of everybody. And the idiots were all whispering, talking about how that wimpy little American was gonna wipe the floor with him again. Again?! There hadn't been a first time!

"Settle down you two," Nekonome scolded the young men. "We have important business to discuss, so both of you take your seats." Both boys gave each other a last hard glare before Danny sat back down and Saizou found an empty seat in the back.

"_You must really be cocky you prick, having that super-strong vampire as a bodyguard,_" Saizou thought as he glared at the back of Danny's head. "_You've got this whole damn school fooled. But not me, I know that you're just some pathetic wimp…_"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Saizou, huh?" Kurumu turned up her nose at the name. "I remember you guys telling me about that jerk at the beginning of the year. Gives me the creeps."

"Anyone who would treat Moka in such a way deserves death!" Yukari proclaimed raising her wand high into the air.

"Yukari, settle down," the vampire blushed trying to settle the girl back into her seat.

The witch sat back down but her anger was still not sated. "I hate nasty guys that would touch Moka. He's just like Gin."

"Easy now," Danny said. "Don't go throwing our furry friend in with that creep. Gin can be a pervert but he's not a psycho like Saizou. Man I just hope that bastard tries to start something with me."

"Sounds like you're taking this kind of personally," Mizore said calmly, though there was a spark of jealousy in her eye. "Could it be you agree with Yukari about mistreating Moka."

"Well yeah," Danny admitted, careful not to anger the other girls. "I'll never forgive him for what he tried to do to her. But Inner Moka already made him pay for that. To be honest, the real reason I want to fight him is a bit more personal."

"What's that?" Moka asked curious.

Danny sighed. "He was the first monster I fought at Youkai Academy. Everyone started talking about me like a big shot after that. But I didn't do anything. I was too damn weak!" Danny slammed his fist down on the table startling the girls. "If I hadn't been lucky enough to pull off Moka's seal, I'd have lost. He would have gotten her and done God knows what," he continued in a low growl.

"But that's not the case anymore. Now I can fight with the toughest of these guys. I guess I feel like if I finally beat this chump myself, I'll have actually earned all the respect and faith everyone seems to have in me," he sighed again, staring at his hand with determination. "And I'll prove once and for all that anyone who messes with the people I care about will answer to me…" he trailed off, forgetting the girls were beside him and not noticing the blush that spread over each of their faces.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Look at them," Saizou said in disgust as he stared down at Danny and the girls from the rooftop. "Maybe the hottest girls in school and they're all over that worthless little transfer. Man I can't wait to twist that smug little head off his shoulders."

"Do you really think you can Saizou?" one of the three guys with him asked. He was a tall student with very short white hair. He was clearly no stranger to fighting as his face was marked with long, painful looking scars. One of them stretched from his right eyebrow to the top of his skull and another ran under his left eye, reaching all the way back behind his left ear. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black leather jacket with no shirt beneath it.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mido?" Saizou replied angrily.

"You know the stories better than anybody," Mido replied calmly, unaffected by the other students glare. "They started with you after all. Chopper, a whole squad of PSC grunts, even Kuyou, the head Enforcer himself. He's beat them all and is still standing."

"It's all a load of crap!" Saizou shot back at him. "I fought this guy myself and he ain't shit!"

"Whatever," Mido replied impassively. "Just don't forget that you're one of us now. We monstrels get enough crap from those pureblood bastards for being mixed breeds. If we want any respect, we have to win _every_ fight, _every_ time. Get yourself beat, and you won't find sympathy. _Don't_ forget that…" Saizou cringed at the glare Mido gave him, like the man's eyes were burning right through him.

"Hey, don't worry boss," one of the others grinned. He was a fairly short guy with neck length chestnut hair. He was wearing knee length shorts and a white t-shirt with long black sleeves. His eyes were like a snakes, no iris, just a long slit through the white.

"You like the idea Moroha?" Mido asked with mild interest.

"Well sure," the boy replied. "Fenton's become infamous around here. We take him out, and the whole school is gonna fear and respect the monstrels. Besides, if he's half as tough as they say, I'd like to try him myself, at least once."

"Then what are we waiting for?" the last boy asked with a mad cackle. He was even shorter than Moroha, and his eyes were even emptier. Completely empty in fact. He wore brown slacks and a black t-shirt. On his head was a red beanie. The red ball at the top bounced back and forth as the strange little man laughed. "If he's so weak, let's tear him apart."

"Shut up, Warai," Mido growled at the lunatic. He didn't know why he bothered putting up with that one.

"Don't worry, I know a surefire way to beat that loser, just let me handle the planning," Saizou said with a lick of his lips. "_And I'll handle sweet little Moka too._"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why the hell does Gin always make me take the trash to the incinerator?" Danny grumbled as he and Moka dumped two boxes of scraps from the most recent edition of the paper.

"It's because he's insanely jealous of you," Moka giggled.

"Yeah…remind me never to stick up for him again," Danny chuckled.

"Danny…" Moka said nervously before they started back to the meeting. "What you said before, about earning people's respect? Well you know you already have. As many people as you've fought and saved us from you've more than earned it. And besides, does it really matter what the rest of the school thinks?"

Danny paused. He stood there a moment and then smiled warmly at the girl. "Of course not. It's not about what they think, it's about me. I can't respect _myself_ for living a lie that was built on beating Saizou. Moka, when I went to school as a human, I wasn't smart. I wasn't popular. I sure as heck wasn't the hero I've become here. And despite that being what I always wanted back in Amity Park, I realize that now I just don't care. I can just be me in the absolute purest sense of the word, because I know I earned it. This school is the one place in the world where I feel like I don't have to lie to everyone. Next to being with you guys, that's the thing I love most about Youkai."

"Really?" Moka blushed.

"Yeah," Danny nodded. "But there's one thing that I haven't earned. That first victory that let everyone know my name. And that's why I want to beat him, once and for all. So that it won't be a lie anymore."

"I see," the girl smiled at Danny's determined tone. "I think I understand a bit better now. In that case, I hope you get your chance soon. I know you can beat him."

"O I doubt that."

Danny and Moka turned at the declaration. Much to their surprise, Saizou was standing atop the incinerator, a wicked smile covering his face. Next to him was a smaller student, wearing a red beanie and an equally evil grin. The pale little teen sat on a heap of garbage, chuckling to himself like a fiend. The two had not been there moments before. They had to have been waiting for an opportunity to get Danny and Moka alone.

"Speak of the wannabe-devil," Danny said smugly, shaking off his surprise. "You know Saizou, you couldn't have picked a better spot to show your ugly mug. The trash pile…or is this where you go for meals? That would explain why your breath smelled so bad this morning."

Warai burst into loud laughter, kicking his legs with amusement. Saizou silenced his 'minion' with a glare, though the white eyed student had to fight to suppress his giggles. The rouge monster turned back to Danny with a sneer. "I see they haven't beat that arrogant attitude out of you yet. Still doing that lame 'Going ghost!' thing?"

The halfa just smiled at Saizou's attempt to insult him. "Only when the urge hits me. I know it seems a little stupid to you, but it still has a bit of a nostalgic feel, ya know?" Danny replied simply before motioning at the smaller delinquent. "What's with the mini-you? Too chicken to fight me without a bodyguard?"

"Nah, just didn't wanna bother getting my hands dirty," Saizou grinned before mildly gesturing behind the pair.

Danny paused as a wisp of blue left his lips. The pause would cost him, because it slowed his reaction by a crucial moment. He turned around, following the chill up his spine. There was a blur of motion as the last member of Saizou's trio appeared. The fingers of Moroha's hands had fused together and stretched into long, sharp fin-like blades made of his flesh. With a flash of red, they ripped deep into Danny earning a splash of the halfa's blood, a perfect X being sliced across his chest. Moroha smiled, his now rigid blue skin stretching with the gesture. "Sorry about the sneak attack," he said as Danny fell to his knees. "Nothing personal…"

"_DANNY!_" Moka screamed. She reached out to catch the boy but was grabbed roughly by the shoulder.

"Nuh uh uh," Saizou smirked, dragging her back so she fell against him. "Can't have that cross coming off now, can we? O _mighty_ vampire…"

"Bastard…" Danny growled, clutching his bleeding chest as pain coursed through him.

"Like I said this morning…" Saizou licked his lips with satisfaction while his body grew to a form Danny remembered all too well, "…you _ain't SHIT!_"

With that he slammed his massive fist into Danny's face, sending the ghost boy crashing through one of the random tombstones that littered the campus ten yards away. Moka tried to run to him agian, tears streaming down her face, but Saizou simply threw her to the ground with a deranged grin. The pink haired girl lay there, too afraid to muster a thought.

"You weren't kiddin'," Warai chuckled surveying the beaten halfa. "So weak. It was even easier than I thought."

"Yeah, I'm kinda disappointed," Moroha sighed with a scratch of the gills at his neck. "Still he almost caught me. If I hadn't snuck up on him this might have been more fun."

"Don't flatter the little wuss," Saizou hissed before his eyes turned hungrily back to Moka. "Besides, if you want more fun, this should do the trick."

The hulking brute ripped open the girl's shirt and jacket with a sinister smile. Warai and Moroha both wore equally hungry looks as they stared at the white lace bra that Moka wore. The girl tried to cover herself but Saizou grabbed her arms and easily held them above her head. His long tongue reached down and licked away at the girl's tears before cracking like whip and slapping her across the cheek.

"Tasty…" Saizou grinned with a lick of his lips. "I guess it's true what they say, revenge really is _sweet…_"

"Mmmmmwahahaha! She looks so sweet!" Warai drooled, his laughter almost out of control as he stared at Moka's exposed breasts. "Gimme!"

"Back off!" Moroha spat shoving the little creep away. "You didn't even do anything. I get to go first."

"I sure hope you're awake over there Fenton," Saizou called smugly while the other two argued. "I want you to hear every single scream from this pretty little thing before I come over there and squash your head like a grape! Cause without her, you're helpless. And without you, she's weak…"

Moka trembled as the massive beast held her to the ground. The other two monstrels descended on her slowly, each pinning one of her legs as well. She felt like she was going to be sick as Warai's cold slimy hands and Moroha's sharp webbed fingers rub eagerly over her thighs. She struggled with all her might, but in her current form she was helpless against the three demons combined.

Saizou's tongue slithered out of his mouth again. The disgusting organ pulled at her bra mockingly, taunting her at her weakness. She wanted to cry out for help, but stayed quiet to rob them of at least that pleasure. Saizou leaned down, opening his fangs to bite into Moka's creamy flesh. She closed her eyes as he drew closer, so she missed the flash of white light that came from the broken headstone…

But she felt the familiar breeze of cool air that suddenly chilled Saizou's small gang to the bone. Four pairs of eyes, one hopeful, three fearful, turned as Danny Phantom rose from the shattered grave. The symbol that usually adorned his chest was covered by a sheet of white ice, an impromptu bandage for his bleeding wounds. The monstrels grips went slack as they watched their enemy approach, and Moka quickly pulled away covering herself.

"Well, well. Maybe there is some truth to the rumors after all," Moroha said as a smile slowly crossed his lips. "This is what I came here to see!"

Danny paused as the blue skinned monster charged. Moroha's webbed hands stretched out to become his fin-like blades once more. At his side the halfa merely pointed his finger straight down, a green spark igniting at its tip. Moroha crossed his blades, preparing to take the halfa's head off while Danny, his arm remaining fully extended, simply raised his finger to point to the sky.

"Nothing personal," Danny whispered.

Everyone's eyes grew in shock as blood exploded from the monstrel. None of them had even seen any attack, just the simple gesture Danny had made. Moroha gaped at the wound that stretched from his knee to his opposing shoulder, burning right through his blades, when the pain hit him all at once and he passed out in the dirt.

Warai's usual laughter had become a pathetic whimper now as he watched Moroha drop. "S-S-Saizou, this isn't what you promised…you said he was weak!"

The smallest monstrel was trembling from the cold and strength of Danny's aura. He inched away from the halfa slowly, afraid he'd suffer the same fate as Moroha. Danny, who's eyes had been fixed on Saizou gave a casual glance at the white-eyed monster and Warai nearly passed out on the spot.

For just a moment Danny stopped and gave the smallest of grins.

"Boo."

"_AAAHHHHH!_" the monstrel screamed before he turned tail and ran as fast as his quivering legs could carry him.

Moka watched as only Danny and Saizou remained. The halfa approached the first monster he'd ever faced slowly, cold anger in his stare. Since the moment Danny's aura had washed over him, the hulking demon had been stunned to silence. He had fought this boy before, and Danny hadn't been nearly this strong. He'd had no strength, no aura, no power at all. Now as Saizou stared at the white haired spector, he could only tremble. Things weren't supposed to be like this…

"You should have taken Moka's advice before Saizou," Danny said sternly.

"What?!" the monstrel spat. The memory of his past humiliation chased away the hesitation he felt. There was no way this freak was going to humiliate him twice. "Knowing my place? I know it already you smartassed bastard!" Saizou charged, his blood boiling and battle cry roaring. "It's gonna be dancing on your grave!"

The demon swung his fist with all his might. He was sure that the blow would crush the American once and for all with his brute strength. Unfortunately for the monstrel, he would never find out. His fist passed right through Danny's body, much to Saizou's shock. Moka was no less stunned. After what they'd learned about Danny's intangibility that morning, she was sure Saizou would have been able to connect.

"You know big guy, I remembered something important about our first fight," Danny said with a smug grin as the monster threw another unsuccessful punch. "You threw a few attacks at me, but I was still able to phase in and out." Again the beast swung his fist in fury with the same lack of results. "Do you know what that means?"

"_SHUT UP YOU WEAK LITTLE SHIT!_" Saizou roared. He raised both arms and swung them down again in a desperate attempt to crush the halfa. He was surprised to feel them connect this time, but stunned that his blow had been stopped cold. Danny held one of Saizou's massive fists in each hand, no sign of effort at having caught the larger creature. He opened the demons arms so he could lock eyes with his would-be rival.

"It means you're the weak one…"

Saizou's stomach suddenly erupted with pain. Though he had never seen Danny move, he realized that the half ghost had somehow struck him in the gut in the blink of an eye. It was an eerie reflection of the first blow Danny had ever struck in the school, save with vastly different results. Where as the first time Danny had punched Saizou like this the monstrel had simply laughed at Danny's lack of power, this time Saizou collapsed over the halfa's fist. Blood and spit flew from the monstrel's lips as his mouth hung open in a silent scream. For an instant time stood still as the clash reached it's end. Then, Danny sent him flying.

Saizou was blasted back by Danny's raw power. The monstrel crashed over and over again as his body spiraled along the ground. He flew back 60 feet from where Danny had struck before crashing into a tree. The wood gave way to beaten monstrel, cracking and falling on top of the humiliated thug.

For a moment, Moka was actually afraid as she looked up at Danny. She had never seen him so willfully brutal before. Moka could see a wicked smile on his face she had not thought possible for him. He had taken pleasure in overpowering the trio and it made her nervous. Before she had realized it however, there was a flash of white and Danny was by her side. He was in his human form again and the arrogant pleasure he'd had at crushing the three monsters was gone. Only concern for her was written on his face as he removed his school jacket.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked worriedly as he covered her exposed chest with his jacket.

"Fine…" she blushed. It amazed her how quick his personality had changed. It was almost like a seal had been removed from him as well and released an Inner Danny, not unlike her own. But that didn't matter, as long as he was with her. "Guess you got your wish."

"This isn't how I wanted it to happen," Danny whispered, his voice shaking slightly. "I didn't want you involved. I didn't want that creep doing-"

Moka brought a finger to his lips to silence the boy. She smiled at him warmly, "I guess we're even now."

Danny just chuckled at her reply. He couldn't think of anything clever to say so he just hugged the girl tightly in thanks for understanding him. The two just stood there, enjoying the warmth of each other's embrace and oblivious to the world. So much so that they failed to notice the scarred young man who had watched the whole altercation from the roof.

"Not bad Fenton," Mido chuckled in amusement. "This might be fun…"

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_YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEESSSS!_ Damn it feels good to post again! I really feels so bad about making all my loyal readers and so many others wait for this but as anyone who read my profile update can see, it was not intentional. But I'm back, and hopefully better than ever. Still going to college, working, and add my fiance and our boy into the mix I don't know how fast my updates will be, but I have support from all of you and Angel (though she giggles and thinks I'm a dork for my choice in subjects lol). My words on this chapter are going to be short and sweet because I have been gone so long that I wouldn't know where to start. But don't worry, the smartass fun loving Ghost Fang will be back in full force next chapter.

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Thanks again to all my reviewers.

No seriously...THANK YOU!

Ok, I'm not gonna answer reviews this time. After over a year I've let them pile up too much. I would just be delaying this chapter further if I had taken the time to reply to them all. But rest assured, I took the time to read each and every one of them. It's one of the things that brought me back. That, and the more than 500 follows. Seriously, anyone who is reading this story and wants to see more scroll down a little, and if you haven't already, FOLLOW THIS STORY! That is what really made my jaw drop when I checked up on this story a few weeks back. Well, I'd love to chat forever, but I have more chapters to work on. Until next time, all of my friends and fans, Ghost Fang is out.


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